2027 Best Lay Ministry Schools in the The Plains States Region

Lay Ministry is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their lay ministry programs.

For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for lay ministry students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Lay Ministry Schools in the The Plains States Region

Best Schools for Lay Ministry in the The Plains States 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

1

University Of St Thomas Minnesota
Saint Paul, MN

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

15 Lay Ministry Degrees Awarded

$65,183 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is University Of St Thomas Minnesota, our #1 school for lay ministry. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Saint Paul. The six-year graduation rate is 77%. There were roughly 15 lay ministry students who graduated with this degree at University Of St Thomas Minnesota in the most recent data year. Lay Ministry graduates of University Of St Thomas Minnesota earn a median of $65,183 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $23,923 to complete this degree. Read more about the lay ministry program at University Of St Thomas Minnesota

2

Bethel University Minnesota
Saint Paul, MN

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

15 Lay Ministry Degrees Awarded

$45,641 Median Starting Salary

Bethel University Minnesota came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best lay ministry schools. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Saint Paul. About 71% of students finish within six years. Bethel University Minnesota awarded about 15 lay ministry degrees in the most recent data year. Lay Ministry graduates of Bethel University Minnesota earn a median of $45,641 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,639 to complete this degree. Read more about the lay ministry program at Bethel University Minnesota

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 · 2 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.