2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Theological & Ministerial Studies in Tennessee

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Theology Schools for a Doctorate in Tennessee” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Tennessee, there were 408 theological and ministerial studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,767 and $37,685 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 38 theological and ministerial studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theology Schools for a Doctorate in Tennessee” ranking looked at 4 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the theological and ministerial studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Doctorate in Tennessee”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Theology Schools for a Doctorate in Tennessee

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theology Schools for a Doctorate in Tennessee.

Top 5 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Theological & Ministerial Studies in Tennessee

#1

Sewanee - The University of the South

Sewanee, Tennessee

#1 in overall quality

$18,243 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Theology Schools for a Doctorate in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Sewanee - The University of the South landed the #1 spot on the list. Sewanee, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s theology degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Sewanee also took the #1 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Sewanee are $18,243, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Theological & Ministerial Studies at Sewanee

#2

Union University

Jackson, Tennessee

#2 in overall quality

$10,671 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Union University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theology Schools for a Doctorate in Tennessee list. Union University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jackson, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Union also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at Union are $10,671, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Union University Theological & Ministerial Studies Report

#3

Pentecostal Theological Seminary

Cleveland, Tennessee

#3 in overall quality

$11,995 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Theology Schools for a Doctorate in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Pentecostal Theological Seminary landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Cleveland, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s theology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pentecostal Theological Seminary, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Pentecostal Theological Seminary are $11,995, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Pentecostal Theological Seminary Theological & Ministerial Studies Report

#4

Memphis Theological Seminary

Memphis, Tennessee

#4 in overall quality

$15,945 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$44,384 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Theology Schools for a Doctorate in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Memphis Theological Seminary landed the #4 spot on the list. Memphis Theological Seminary is a small school located in Memphis, Tennessee that handed out 21 doctorate’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.

Memphis Theological Seminary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Memphis Theological Seminary are $15,945, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Memphis Theological Seminary

#5

Lipscomb University

Nashville, Tennessee

#3 in overall quality

$18,000 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Theology Schools for a Doctorate in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Lipscomb University landed the #5 spot on the list. Lipscomb is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 2 doctorate’s theology degrees in 2019-2020.

Lipscomb also made our “Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at Lipscomb University are $18,000, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Lipscomb University

• Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Theological & Ministerial Studies in the Southeast Region
• Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Theological & Ministerial Studies

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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