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2023 Best Value Colleges for Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

15 Ranked Colleges
806 Degrees Awarded
$22,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries is the 171st most popular major in the country with 3,116 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, pastoral counseling and specialized ministries graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,592 and had an average of $26,577 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 806 pastoral counseling and specialized ministries graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,307 and $26,969 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 15 colleges that offer a degree in pastoral counseling and specialized ministries. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality pastoral counseling and specialized ministries programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the pastoral counseling and specialized ministries program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid.

Top 15 Best Value Colleges for Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

1
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lee University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. Lee University is a small school located in Cleveland, Tennessee that handed out 84 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lee University, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $18,219 for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid per year to attend Lee University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Lee University

2
CIU crest
Columbia International University
Columbia, South Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia International University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. This small school is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and it awarded 14 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

CIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $18,222 for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid per year to attend Columbia International University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CIU Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Report

3
Johnson University crest
Johnson University
Knoxville, Tennessee

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Johnson University landed the #3 spot on the list. Johnson University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 11 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

Johnson University also made our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Johnson University is $17,671 for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Johnson University

4
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Regent University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. Regent University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Regent not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $24,888 for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid per year to attend Regent.

Read more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Regent University

5
Harding crest
Harding University
Searcy, Arkansas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harding University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. Harding is a small school located in Searcy, Arkansas that handed out 6 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

Harding also made our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Harding University is $19,456 for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Harding University

6
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Emory University is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s pastoral counseling degrees to qualified students.

Emory also took the #1 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $22,597 for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid per year to attend Emory.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Emory University Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Report

7
JUFL crest
Johnson University Florida
Kissimmee, Florida

Johnson University Florida came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Kissimmee, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s pastoral counseling students in 2020-2021.

JUFL also made our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Johnson University Florida is $18,713 for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at JUFL

8
SEU crest
Southeastern University
Lakeland, Florida

Southeastern University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Southeastern University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Lakeland, Florida. It awarded 22 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SEU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern University is $26,640 for Southeast Region Pastoral Counseling students with aid.

Full SEU Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Report

9
Lenoir - Rhyne University crest
Lenoir - Rhyne University
Hickory, North Carolina

Lenoir - Rhyne University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Hickory, North Carolina, and it awarded 3 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

Lenoir - Rhyne University also made our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Lenoir - Rhyne University is $18,772 for Southeast Region Pastoral Counseling students with aid.

Full Lenoir - Rhyne University Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Report

10
TMU crest
Truett McConnell University
Cleveland, Georgia

With a ranking of #10, Truett McConnell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Cleveland, Georgia, and it awarded 1 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TMU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $19,253 for Southeast Region Pastoral Counseling students with aid per year to attend TMU.

Full TMU Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Report

11
Lipscomb crest
Lipscomb University
Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #11, Lipscomb University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Lipscomb is a small school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 1 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

Lipscomb not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lipscomb is $25,704 for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Lipscomb

12
North Greenville crest
North Greenville University
Tigerville, South Carolina

North Greenville University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. North Greenville is a small school located in Tigerville, South Carolina that handed out 1 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Greenville, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $20,058 for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid per year to attend North Greenville.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Greenville University Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Report

13
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s pastoral counseling degrees to 119 students in 2020-2021.

Liberty University also took the #6 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $29,382 for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid.

Read more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Liberty University

14
Samford crest
Samford University
Birmingham, Alabama

Samford University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1 degrees to qualified ’s pastoral counseling students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Samford, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Samford University is $30,072 for southeast region pastoral counseling students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Samford University

15
Mid-Atlantic Christian University crest
Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Mid-Atlantic Christian University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and it awarded 5 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

Mid-Atlantic Christian University also made our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Mid-Atlantic Christian University is $20,709 for Southeast Region Pastoral Counseling students with aid.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Mid-Atlantic Christian University

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Notes and References

References

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