2026 Best Value Religious Education Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Religious Education](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/religious-education/religious-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong religious education education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for religious education students.
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2026 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
Concordia University Seward earned the #1 spot for value among religious education schools in the The Plains States Region. Set in the town of Seward, Concordia University Seward is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,640. Religious Education graduates carry a median of $29,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, religious education degree recipients from Concordia University Seward generally make around $55,023. Set against $29,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value religious education schools. Located in the city of Kansas City, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,530. Religious Education graduates carry a median of $15,559 in student loans. Early-career religious education graduates make about $55,308. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 96%.
Students looking for strong value in religious education will find it at Crown College, which ranked #3. Crown College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Saint Bonifacius. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $31,410. Typical student debt for religious education graduates is $25,937. Religious Education graduates of Crown College earn a median of $33,368 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 23% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
