2026 Best Value Pastoral Studies/Counseling Schools in Pennsylvania
[Pastoral Studies/Counseling](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/pastoral-counseling-specialized-ministries/pastoral-studies-counseling/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value pastoral studies/counseling schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Pastoral Studies/Counseling Schools in Pennsylvania
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the pastoral studies/counseling degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Pastoral Studies/Counseling Schools
For return on investment in pastoral studies/counseling, no school beat Lancaster Bible College this year. Set in the suburb of Lancaster, Lancaster Bible College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $29,990. Students borrow a median of $22,584 to complete the pastoral studies/counseling program here. Early-career pastoral studies/counseling graduates make about $35,130. That is a strong return on a $22,584 median debt. Lancaster Bible College admits about 56% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Valley Forge Christian College one of the best values for pastoral studies/counseling. Valley Forge Christian College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Phoenixville. Students from in state pay about $25,240 in tuition and fees. Pastoral Studies/counseling graduates carry a median of $27,634 in student loans. Early-career pastoral studies/counseling graduates make about $34,612. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 61%.
Neumann University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in pastoral studies/counseling, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Aston, Neumann University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $39,100. Pastoral Studies/counseling graduates carry a median of $28,450 in student loans. Pastoral Studies/counseling graduates of Neumann University earn a median of $56,542 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 81%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
