by our College Data Analytics Team
[Pastoral Studies/Counseling](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/pastoral-counseling-specialized-ministries/pastoral-studies-counseling/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong pastoral studies/counseling education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 1 schools to find the best return on investment for pastoral studies/counseling students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in pastoral studies/counseling, balancing cost against outcomes.
Liberty University earned the #1 spot for value among pastoral studies/counseling schools in Virginia. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. In-state tuition and fees average $16,173. Typical student debt for pastoral studies/counseling graduates is $23,750. Early-career pastoral studies/counseling graduates make about $34,083. Set against $23,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 1 school evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the one ranked school only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.