2023 Best Value Colleges for Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries in the Great Lakes Region
19
Ranked Colleges
812
Degrees Awarded
$21,200
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 Great Lakes region, there were 812 pastoral counseling and specialized ministries graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,631 and $23,258 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 19 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.
More Ways to Rank Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Marion, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified ’s pastoral counseling students in 2020-2021.
IWU also made our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $18,904 for Great Lakes Region Pastoral Counseling students per year to attend Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Moody Bible Institute landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 94 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,679 for Great Lakes Region Pastoral Counseling students per year to attend Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Moody Bible Institute
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Olivet Nazarene University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s pastoral counseling degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $19,470 for Great Lakes Region Pastoral Counseling students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Olivet Nazarene University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend McCormick Theological Seminary. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 22 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
McCormick Theological Seminary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at McCormick Theological Seminary
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grace College and Theological Seminary. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Grace College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winona Lake, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Grace College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,060 for Great Lakes Region Pastoral Counseling students per year to attend Grace College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Grace College and Theological Seminary
Loyola University Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 45 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $36,434 for great lakes region pastoral counseling students per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Full Loyola Chicago Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Report
Lincoln Christian University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Lincoln, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified ’s pastoral counseling students in 2020-2021.
Lincoln Christian College and Seminary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lincoln Christian College and Seminary is $19,638 for Great Lakes Region Pastoral Counseling students.
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%.
Read full report on Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Lincoln Christian College and Seminary
Grace Christian University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Wyoming, Michigan, and it awarded 65 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grace, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grace is $13,795 for great lakes region pastoral counseling students.
Full Grace Christian University Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Report
Ashland University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ashland University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Ohio. It awarded 13 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
Ashland also made our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Ashland is $20,974 for great lakes region pastoral counseling students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Ashland
Indiana Wesleyan University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IWU is located in Marion, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 ’s pastoral counseling degrees to qualified students.
IWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IWU is $21,204 for Great Lakes Region Pastoral Counseling students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at IWU
Northern Baptist Theological Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. Northern Baptist Theological Seminary is a small school located in Lisle, Illinois that handed out 19 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
Northern Seminary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Northern Seminary
Trinity International University - Illinois landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Deerfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s pastoral counseling degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
TIU Illinois also took the #9 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for TIU Illinois is $21,200 for Great Lakes Region Pastoral Counseling students.
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 more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Trinity International University - Illinois
Ohio Christian University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. OCU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Circleville, Ohio. It awarded 2 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region pastoral counseling students list, OCU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OCU is $22,901 for great lakes region pastoral counseling students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Ohio Christian University
With a ranking of #14, Valor Christian College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Valor Christian College is located in Canal Winchester, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 ’s pastoral counseling degrees to qualified students.
Valor Christian College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,674 for great lakes region pastoral counseling students per year to attend Valor Christian College.
Full Valor Christian College Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Report
Cornerstone University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Cornerstone is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornerstone also took the #12 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornerstone University is $20,397 for Great Lakes Region Pastoral Counseling students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 full report on Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Cornerstone
Andrews University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Andrews is a private not-for-profit institution located in Berrien Springs, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 85 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Andrews not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Andrews is $23,408 for great lakes region pastoral counseling students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Andrews
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s pastoral counseling degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at LSTC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Report
Concordia University, Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s pastoral counseling students in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Ann Arbor also took the #14 spot in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Ann Arbor is $26,356 for great lakes region pastoral counseling students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Full Concordia University, Ann Arbor Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Report
Spring Arbor University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Pastoral Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Spring Arbor University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Spring Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 7 ’s pastoral counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region pastoral counseling students list, Spring Arbor has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Spring Arbor University is $20,543 for Great Lakes Region Pastoral Counseling students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries at Spring Arbor
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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