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2024 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Tennessee

6 Colleges in Tennessee
372 Theology Degrees Awarded
$39,351 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in theological & ministerial studies is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #63 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 6 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Tennessee ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 372 degrees in theological & ministerial studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Theological & Ministerial Studies School

Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Tennessee Your choice of theological & ministerial studies 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 theological & ministerial studies 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 Theological & Ministerial Studies Degree Level

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

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Tennessee list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Theological & Ministerial Studies in Tennessee

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the theology degree levels they offer.

Top Tennessee Schools in Theology

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Theology Degrees Awarded
$40,854 Median Starting Salary

Vanderbilt University is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in theological & ministerial studies. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges 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 year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the theology program report average early career earnings of $40,854.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Theology Degrees Awarded
$71,807 Median Starting Salary

Sewanee - The University of the South is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in theological & ministerial studies. 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 roughly 31 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Sewanee in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the theological & ministerial studies major at Sewanee - The University of the South earn $32,456 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

3
Johnson University crest
Johnson University
Knoxville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Theology Degrees Awarded
$27,374 Median Starting Salary

Johnson University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in theological & ministerial studies. 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. After graduation, theology degree recipients generally earn around $27,374 in the first five years of their career.

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

4
Lipscomb crest
Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$46,290 Median Starting Salary

Lipscomb University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in theological & ministerial studies. Lipscomb is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. This university ranks 6th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 21 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Lipscomb in the most recent data year. Those theological & ministerial studies students who get their degree from Lipscomb University earn $6,939 more than the average theology graduate.

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

5
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Theology Degrees Awarded
52.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 15th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 36 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the theology program earn around $19,292 in their early career salary.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Theology Degrees Awarded
$30,488 Median Starting Salary

Memphis Theological Seminary is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Memphis.

There were roughly 35 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Memphis Theological Seminary in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the theology program make about $30,488 in their early career salary.

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

Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 435
Florida 282 677
North Carolina 279 757
Virginia 274 1,937
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 182
Theology 110
Other Theological & Ministerial Studies 55
Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies 25

View All Theology Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Theology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biblical Studies 243
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries 167
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other) 73
Missionary Studies 35
Sacred Music 23
Religious Education 22

View All Theology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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