College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Divinity/Ministry Schools

101 Colleges in the United States
7,238 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded
If you pursue a degree in divinity/ministry, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #113 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 101 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Divinity/Ministry Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 7,238 degrees in divinity/ministry to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Divinity/Ministry School

Best Divinity/Ministry Schools Your choice of divinity/ministry school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for divinity/ministry schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Divinity/Ministry Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Divinity Studies
Bachelor's Degrees in Divinity Studies
Master's Degrees in Divinity Studies
Doctor's Degrees in Divinity Studies

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Divinity/Ministry Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Divinity/Ministry in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the divinity studies degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

16 Top Schools in Divinity Studies

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CA
100 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

It is hard to beat Fuller Theological Seminary if you want to pursue a degree in divinity/ministry. Located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena, Fuller is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were about 100 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Fuller in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MO
247 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

Every student pursuing a degree in divinity/ministry needs to take a look at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. MBTS is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Kansas City.

There were about 247 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at MBTS in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In IN
35.3% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Notre Dame if you wish to pursue a degree in divinity/ministry. Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 17 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from University of Notre Dame

4
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CT
64 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

It is hard to beat Yale University if you want to pursue a degree in divinity/ministry. Located in the city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were about 64 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Yale University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In FL
441 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

SEU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Lakeland. This university ranks 12th out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 441 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at SEU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Southeastern University

6
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In NC

Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 25 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Duke University

7
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In GA
123 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were about 123 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Emory University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In IL

Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 15 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from University of Chicago

9
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MA

Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 30 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Harvard University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In KY
175 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

Asbury Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Wilmore.

There were approximately 175 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Asbury Seminary in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Asbury Theological Seminary

11
Concordia Seminary crest
Concordia Seminary
Saint Louis, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MO
56 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

Concordia Seminary is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis.

There were approximately 56 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Concordia Seminary in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Concordia Seminary

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In TX
112 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

DTS Dallas is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Dallas.

There were roughly 112 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at DTS Dallas in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary

12
Luther Seminary crest
Luther Seminary
Saint Paul, MN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MN
92 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Saint Paul, Luther Seminary is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

There were about 92 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Luther Seminary in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Luther Seminary

13
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In TN
32 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 32 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Vanderbilt University

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IL
43 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

There were approximately 43 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Moody Bible Institute

15
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In CA
53 Divinity Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of La Mirada, Biola is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 58th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 53 divinity/ministry students who graduated with this degree at Biola in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in divinity/ministry from Biola University

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Divinity/Ministry students that almost earned our Best Divinity/Ministry Schools award.

Rank College Location
16 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
17 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
18 Gordon - Conwell Theological Seminary South Hamilton, MA
19 The Master’s University and Seminary Santa Clarita, CA
20 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA
21 Regent University Virginia Beach, VA
22 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
23 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
24 Columbia International University Columbia, SC
25 Johnson University Knoxville, TN

Divinity/Ministry by Region

View the Best Divinity/Ministry 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

View All Rankings >

One of 5 majors within the Theological & Ministerial Studies area of study, Divinity/Ministry has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Theology 6,253
Other Theological & Ministerial Studies 1,925
Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies 251
Rabbinical Studies 165

View All Divinity Studies Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options