2027 Best Lay Ministry Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Lay Ministry programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their lay ministry programs.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools to find the best for lay ministry students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Lay Ministry in the Great Lakes Region
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the lay ministry degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Lay Ministry
Calvin College tops our 2027 ranking of the best lay ministry schools. Calvin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Grand Rapids. The six-year graduation rate is 74%. Calvin College awarded about 20 lay ministry degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the lay ministry program make about $44,220 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $22,707.
Read more about the lay ministry program at Calvin College
Malone University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in lay ministry, ranking #2. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Canton. Roughly 45% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 11 lay ministry degrees were awarded at Malone University in the most recent year. Students who receive their lay ministry degree from Malone University earn around $48,359 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $27,956 to complete this degree.
See the full lay ministry program report for Malone University
Grace College And Theological Seminary is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in lay ministry, ranking #3. Set in the town of Winona Lake, Grace College And Theological Seminary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 69% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 17 lay ministry degrees were awarded at Grace College And Theological Seminary in the most recent year. Graduates of the lay ministry program make about $34,513 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,500 to complete this degree.
See the full lay ministry program report for Grace College And Theological Seminary
Bethel College Mishawaka is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in lay ministry, landing the #4 spot this year. Bethel College Mishawaka is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Mishawaka. About 52% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 16 lay ministry students who graduated with this degree at Bethel College Mishawaka in the most recent data year. Graduates of the lay ministry program make about $31,046 in their early career. Bethel College Mishawaka graduates carry a median of $23,319 in student loans.
See the full lay ministry program report for Bethel College Mishawaka
Grace Bible College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in lay ministry, ranking #5. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Wyoming. Grace Bible College graduates 51% of students within six years. There were roughly 51 lay ministry students who graduated with this degree at Grace Bible College in the most recent data year. Lay Ministry graduates of Grace Bible College earn a median of $41,219 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $30,118.
More information about a degree in lay ministry from Grace Bible College
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.
- 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.
