2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Theological & Ministerial Studies is the 55th most popular major in the country with 15,051 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, theological and ministerial studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $36,911 and had an average of $41,597 in loans still to pay off.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,506 theological and ministerial studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 74 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in theological and ministerial studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great theological and ministerial studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the theological and ministerial studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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The theology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theological & Ministerial Studies (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for Bachelor’s Degree Theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Theological & Ministerial Studies at UChicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 48 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theology students in 2019-2020.
Notre Dame also took the #1 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The impressive 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Notre Dame
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Boston College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
Boston College also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $6,353 for Bachelor’s Degree Theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Theological & Ministerial Studies at Boston College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trevecca Nazarene University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Trevecca Nazarene University is a small school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 6 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k list, TNU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for TNU is $15,228 for Bachelor’s Degree Theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Baptist College of Florida. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. The Baptist College of Florida is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Graceville, Florida. It awarded 25 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for The Baptist College of Florida is $7,252 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The 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 Theological & Ministerial Studies at The Baptist College of Florida
With a ranking of #6, Johnson University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johnson University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 36 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.
Johnson University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Johnson University is $13,968 for Bachelor’s Degree Theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The 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 Theological & Ministerial Studies at Johnson University
Saint Johns University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. SJU is located in Collegeville, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s theology degrees to qualified students.
SJU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for SJU is $14,683 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Theological & Ministerial Studies at Saint Johns University
Kuyper College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Kuyper College is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s theology degrees to qualified students.
Kuyper not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $19,056 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kuyper.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Kuyper College
With a ranking of #9, Bob Jones University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Greenville, South Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theology degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Bob Jones University is $10,076 for Bachelor’s Degree Theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Bob Jones University Theological & Ministerial Studies Report
Harding University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harding University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Searcy, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Harding also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $13,930 for Bachelor’s Degree Theology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harding.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #11, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
MBTS also took the #15 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is $17,336 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Franciscan University of Steubenville landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Steubenville, Ohio, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Franciscan U has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Franciscan University of Steubenville is $18,799 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Theological & Ministerial Studies at Franciscan U
Saint Louis University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Louis University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 10 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.
SLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Louis University is $20,051 for Bachelor’s Degree Theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Dallas came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Irving, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theology students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UD, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Dallas is $15,759 for Bachelor’s Degree Theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
With a ranking of #15, Southern Adventist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Collegedale, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theology degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
Southern Adventist also took the #6 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,346 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Adventist.
Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Southern Adventist University
Clarks Summit University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Clarks Summit University is a private not-for-profit institution located in South Abington Township, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,879 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSU.
With a ranking of #17, University of Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bismarck, North Dakota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theology students in 2019-2020.
UMary also took the #13 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mary is $12,953 for Bachelor’s Degree Theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Theological & Ministerial Studies at UMary
With a ranking of #18, Central Christian College of the Bible did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Moberly, Missouri, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Central Christian College of the Bible is $11,827 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive 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.
Full Central Christian College of the Bible Theological & Ministerial Studies Report
Ozark Christian College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Joplin, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theology students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Ozark Christian College is $13,905 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The 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 more about Theological & Ministerial Studies at Ozark Christian College
Northwest University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northwest University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Kirkland, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwest University also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $15,871 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwest University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Northwest University
Moody Bible Institute landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Moody Bible Institute is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 137 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.
Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Moody Bible Institute is $17,212 for Bachelor’s Degree Theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Theological & Ministerial Studies at Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School
Criswell College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Criswell College is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s theology degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Criswell College is $14,056 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Theological & Ministerial Studies at Criswell College
Indiana Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Indiana Wesleyan University is located in Marion, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s theology degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana Wesleyan University is $17,450 for Bachelor’s Degree Theology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at IWU
Olivet Nazarene University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s theology degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $15,806 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Theological & Ministerial Studies at Olivet Nazarene
Hope International University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,847 for bachelor’s degree theology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hope International University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Hope International University Theological & Ministerial Studies Report
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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
Footnotes
- *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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