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2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region

12 Ranked Colleges
284 Degrees Awarded
$21,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 15,051 people earned their degree in theological and ministerial studies, making the major the 55th most popular in the United States. 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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,350 theological and ministerial studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,729 and $30,602 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 284 theological and ministerial studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 12 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in theological and ministerial studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality theological and ministerial studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

More Ways to Rank Theological & Ministerial Studies 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 Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theological & Ministerial Studies in the Plains States Region

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. MBTS is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s theology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree theology students list, MBTS has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is $19,878 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theology students.

Read more about Theological & Ministerial Studies at MBTS

#2

Ozark Christian College

Joplin, Missouri
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ozark Christian College landed the #2 spot on the list. Ozark Christian College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joplin, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ozark Christian College also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Ozark Christian College is $15,138 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theology students.

The low 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 Theological & Ministerial Studies at Ozark Christian College

#3

University of Mary

Bismarck, North Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Mary. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. UMary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bismarck, North Dakota. It awarded 18 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.

UMary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mary is $17,410 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theology students.

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%.

Full UMary Theological & Ministerial Studies Report

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Christian College of the Bible landed the #4 spot on the list. Central Christian College of the Bible is a small school located in Moberly, Missouri that handed out 9 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree theology students list, Central Christian College of the Bible has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Christian College of the Bible is $14,118 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theology students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Theological & Ministerial Studies at Central Christian College of the Bible

#5

Manhattan Christian College

Manhattan, Kansas
#12 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Manhattan Christian College landed the #5 spot on the list. Manhattan Christian College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Manhattan, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

MCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for MCC is $25,199 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theology students.

Read more about Theological & Ministerial Studies at Manhattan Christian College

#6

Crown College

Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota
#8 in overall quality

Crown College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.

Crown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Crown is $26,396 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theology students.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Crown College

#7

Benedictine College

Atchison, Kansas

With a ranking of #7, Benedictine College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Benedictine College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atchison, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree theology students list, Benedictine College has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Benedictine College is $23,011 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theology students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 Theological & Ministerial Studies at Benedictine College

University of Northwestern - St Paul ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Northwestern - St Paul is $21,871 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theology students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full University of Northwestern - St Paul Theological & Ministerial Studies Report

Concordia University, Nebraska landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Concordia University, Nebraska is located in Seward, Nebraska and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s theology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Nebraska, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Nebraska is $20,763 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theology students.

Read more about Theological & Ministerial Studies at Concordia University, Nebraska

#10

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa
#11 in overall quality

University of Dubuque landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Dubuque, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theology degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

UD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Dubuque is $26,748 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theology students.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at UD

#11

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

Saint Johns University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. SJU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Collegeville, Minnesota. It awarded 4 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SJU, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SJU is $24,271 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theology students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at SJU

#12

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.

SLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SLU is $28,188 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theology students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Saint Louis University

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jonund.

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