2026 Best Pastoral Studies/Counseling Schools in the Southwest Region
Pastoral Studies/Counseling degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 17 schools to find the best for pastoral studies/counseling students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Pastoral Studies/Counseling in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall pastoral studies/counseling education in the Southwest Region.
Top Schools in Pastoral Studies/Counseling
No school ranked higher than University Of St Thomas Texas this year for pastoral studies/counseling. University Of St Thomas Texas is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston. About 69% of students finish within six years. University Of St Thomas Texas awarded about 47 pastoral studies/counseling degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the pastoral studies/counseling program make about $58,265 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,628.
Get the full pastoral studies/counseling details for University Of St Thomas Texas
Dallas Theological Seminary is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in pastoral studies/counseling, ranking #2. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Dallas. Dallas Theological Seminary awarded about 56 pastoral studies/counseling degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the pastoral studies/counseling program make about $45,207 in their early career.
See the full pastoral studies/counseling program report for Dallas Theological Seminary
Students looking for a strong pastoral studies/counseling program will find one at Oral Roberts University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Tulsa, Oral Roberts University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 57% of students finish within six years. Oral Roberts University awarded about 12 pastoral studies/counseling degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the pastoral studies/counseling program make about $41,180 in their early career. Oral Roberts University graduates carry a median of $37,000 in student loans.
More information about a degree in pastoral studies/counseling from Oral Roberts University
Kings University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in pastoral studies/counseling, ranking #4. Set in the suburb of Southlake, Kings University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 33% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 14 pastoral studies/counseling students who graduated with this degree at Kings University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, pastoral studies/counseling degree recipients from Kings University generally make around $40,888. Kings University graduates carry a median of $48,998 in student loans.
See the full pastoral studies/counseling program report for Kings University
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 17 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.
