2027 Best Value Lay Ministry Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Lay Ministry](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/pastoral-counseling-specialized-ministries/lay-ministry/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value lay ministry schools.
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2027 Best Value Lay Ministry Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the lay ministry degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Lay Ministry Schools
Leading the list is North Central University, our #1 best value for lay ministry in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Minneapolis, North Central University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $32,220 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,750 to complete the lay ministry program here. Soon after graduation, lay ministry degree recipients from North Central University generally make around $27,370. That is a strong return on a $26,750 median debt. North Central University admits about 99% of applicants.
Bethel University Minnesota came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value lay ministry schools. Bethel University Minnesota is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Paul. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $44,226. Students borrow a median of $25,639 to complete the lay ministry program here. Early-career lay ministry graduates make about $45,641. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes University Of St Thomas Minnesota one of the best values for lay ministry. Set in the city of Saint Paul, University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $54,398 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for lay ministry graduates is $23,923. Soon after graduation, lay ministry degree recipients from University Of St Thomas Minnesota generally make around $65,183. Set against $23,923 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
