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2024 Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Master's Degree Schools

39 Colleges in the United States
1,191 Master's Degrees
$38,497 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your master's degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #100 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 39 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,191 master's degrees in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries School for Your Master's Degree

Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Master's Degree Schools Your choice of pastoral counseling & specialized ministries for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality pastoral counseling program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Pastoral Counseling Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Master's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries in the United States

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries.

10 Top Schools for a Master's in Pastoral Counseling

1

The Master's University and Seminary is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries. The Master's University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Santa Clarita.

Master's recipients from the pastoral counseling & specialized ministries degree program at The Master's University and Seminary make $8,188 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from The Master’s University and Seminary

2

Loyola University Chicago is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the pastoral counseling program report average early career earnings of $39,927.

More information about a master’s in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Loyola University Chicago

3

Olivet Nazarene University is a good option for students pursuing a master's degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries. Located in the small suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Those pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who get their master's degree from Olivet Nazarene University make $8,803 more than the typical pastoral counseling graduate.

More information about a master’s in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Olivet Nazarene University

4
44 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries has to check out Gordon - Conwell Theological Seminary. Located in the suburb of South Hamilton, Gordon - Conwell Seminary is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a master’s in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Gordon - Conwell Theological Seminary

5
36 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Lancaster, Lancaster Bible College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a master’s in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Lancaster Bible College

6
12 Annual Graduates

SEU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Lakeland.More information about a master’s in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Southeastern University

7
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
3 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Emory University

7
58 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Glenside, Westminster Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.More information about a master’s in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Westminster Theological Seminary

8

Located in the large suburb of Saint Paul, Bethel University Minnesota is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Those pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who get their master's degree from Bethel University Minnesota make $4,906 more than the typical pastoral counseling student.

More information about a master’s in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Bethel University Minnesota

9
19 Annual Graduates

Grace College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Winona Lake.More information about a master’s in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Grace College and Theological Seminary

Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries by Region

View the Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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One of 7 majors within the Theology & Religious Vocations area of study, Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries has other similar majors worth exploring.

Pastoral Counseling Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Pastoral Studies/Counseling 684
Other Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries 218
Lay Ministry 188
Youth Ministry 49
Urban Ministry 25
Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies 17

Majors Similar to Pastoral Counseling

Related Major Annual Graduates
Theological & Ministerial Studies 10,469
Biblical Studies 844
Religious Education 570
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other) 512
Missionary Studies 294
Sacred Music 124
Religious Institution Administration and Law 23

Notes and References

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