2027 Best Value Religious Education Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Religious Education](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/religious-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for religious education students.
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2027 Best Value Religious Education Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in religious education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Religious Education Schools
Our analysis ranked Evangel University College Of Online Learning the best value for a degree in religious education in the The Plains States Region. Evangel University College Of Online Learning is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Springfield. Students from in state pay about $8,175 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $19,000 to complete the religious education program here. Early-career religious education graduates make about $41,610. Set against $19,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Evangel University College Of Online Learning admits about 49% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary earned it the #2 place for religious education. Set in the city of Kansas City, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,530. Typical student debt for religious education graduates is $15,559. Religious Education graduates of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary earn a median of $55,308 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,559 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Concordia University Seward came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value religious education schools. Located in the town of Seward, Concordia University Seward is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $40,640 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for religious education graduates is $29,000. Early-career religious education graduates make about $55,023. Set against $29,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Bethel University Minnesota came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value religious education schools. Set in the suburb of Saint Paul, Bethel University Minnesota is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $44,226 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for religious education graduates is $25,639. Soon after graduation, religious education degree recipients from Bethel University Minnesota generally make around $61,465. Set against $25,639 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Students looking for strong value in religious education will find it at University Of St Thomas Minnesota, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Saint Paul, University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $54,398. Students borrow a median of $23,923 to complete the religious education program here. Religious Education graduates of University Of St Thomas Minnesota earn a median of $65,183 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,923 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- 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.
