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2024 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in the Southeast Region

39 Colleges in the Southeast Region
5,813 Theology Degrees Awarded
$42,235 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in theological & ministerial studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #63 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 39 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 5,813 degrees in theological & ministerial studies to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Theological & Ministerial Studies School

Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in the Southeast Region Your choice of theological & ministerial studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Theological & Ministerial Studies School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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

Pick Your Theological & Ministerial Studies Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Theology
Bachelor's Degrees in Theology
Master's Degrees in Theology
Doctor's Degrees in Theology

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 the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in the Southeast Region. 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 Theological & Ministerial Studies in the Southeast Region

The schools below may not offer all types of theology degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in Theology

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
185 Theology Degrees Awarded
9.7% Growth in Graduates

Duke University is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in theological & ministerial studies. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 185 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Theological & Ministerial Studies degree recipients from Duke University earn a boost of around $9,262 above the average earnings of theological & ministerial studies graduates.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from Duke University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In FL
466 Theology Degrees Awarded

Southeastern University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in theological & ministerial studies. SEU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Lakeland. This university ranks 12th out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 466 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at SEU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from Southeastern University

3
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
145 Theology Degrees Awarded
14.5% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in theological & ministerial studies needs to check out Emory University. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were approximately 145 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the theology program state that they receive average early career wages of $41,204.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from Emory University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
231 Theology Degrees Awarded
5.2% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in theological & ministerial studies has to check out Asbury Theological Seminary. Asbury Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Wilmore.

There were roughly 231 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Asbury Seminary in the most recent data year. Those theological & ministerial studies students who get their degree from Asbury Theological Seminary receive $3,390 more than the typical theology graduate.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from Asbury Theological Seminary

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Theology Degrees Awarded
$40,854 Median Starting Salary

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 57 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the theology program earn about $40,854 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from Vanderbilt University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Theology Degrees Awarded
$71,807 Median Starting Salary

Sewanee is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Sewanee. A Best Colleges rank of #207 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Sewanee is a great university overall.

There were about 31 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Sewanee in the most recent year we have data available. Those theological & ministerial studies students who get their degree from Sewanee - The University of the South receive $29,572 more than the typical theology student.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from Sewanee - The University of the South

7
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,692 Theology Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #352 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were about 1692 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the theology program state that they receive average early career wages of $38,575.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from Liberty University

8
Johnson University crest
Johnson University
Knoxville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Theology Degrees Awarded
$27,374 Median Starting Salary

Located in the rural area of Knoxville, Johnson University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

There were about 58 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Johnson University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the theology program report average early career income of $27,374.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from Johnson University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In SC
47 Theology Degrees Awarded

Located in the midsize city of Columbia, CIU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #158 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means CIU is a great university overall.

There were about 47 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at CIU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from Columbia International University

10
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
198 Theology Degrees Awarded
7.1% Growth in Graduates

Regent is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Virginia Beach. This university ranks 20th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 198 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Regent in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the theological & ministerial studies program at Regent University get $8,979 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from Regent University

Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best theological & ministerial studies schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 435
Florida 282 677
North Carolina 279 757
Virginia 274 1,937
Tennessee 269 342
South Carolina 248 144
Kentucky 244 753
Louisiana 242 385
Mississippi 234 11
Arkansas 234 53
Alabama 233 64
West Virginia 207 36

View All Rankings >

Theological & Ministerial Studies is one of 7 different types of Theology & Religious Vocations programs to choose from.

Theology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Divinity/Ministry 3,083
Theology 2,262
Other Theological & Ministerial Studies 369
Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies 98
Rabbinical Studies 1

View All Theology Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biblical Studies 1,402
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries 806
Missionary Studies 291
Sacred Music 288
Religious Education 281
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other) 147

View All Theology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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