2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Lay Ministry
24
Ranked Colleges
298
Degrees Awarded
$31,100
Avg Cost*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2021-2022, 677 people earned their degree in lay ministry, making the major the 630th most popular in the United States.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 298 lay ministry graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major” ranking looked at 24 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in lay ministry. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their lay ministry program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The lay ministry 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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major”.
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.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree lay ministry students.
Top 24 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Lay Ministry
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Westminster Theological Seminary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major list. Westminster Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It awarded 79 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Lay Ministry at Westminster Theological Seminary
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Urshan Graduate School of Theology. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major. Urshan Graduate School of Theology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wentzville, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Lay Ministry at Urshan Graduate School of Theology
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Athenaeum of Ohio. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major. Mount St. Mary’s Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 2 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Mount St. Mary’s Seminary Lay Ministry Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sioux Falls Seminary. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major list. North American Baptist Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It awarded 14 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 2 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Lay Ministry at Sioux Falls Seminary
Out of the 24 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Gordon - Conwell Theological Seminary landed the #5 spot on the list. Gordon - Conwell Seminary is a small school located in South Hamilton, Massachusetts that handed out 69 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Gordon - Conwell Seminary Lay Ministry Report
University of Fort Lauderdale did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Lauderhill, Florida, and it awarded 0 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full University of Fort Lauderdale Lay Ministry Report
With a ranking of #7, Saint John’s Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major list. Saint John’s Seminary is located in Brighton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 masters’s lay ministry degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Lay Ministry at Saint John’s Seminary
United Theological Seminary ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major list. United Theological Seminary is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 masters’s lay ministry degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Lay Ministry at United Theological Seminary
Covenant Theological Seminary ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major list. Covenant Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad 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%.
Full Covenant Seminary Lay Ministry Report
Meadville Lombard Theological School ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major list. Meadville Lombard Theological School is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 4 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Lay Ministry at Meadville Lombard Theological School
Kuyper College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major ranking. Kuyper College is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 10 masters’s lay ministry degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Kuyper College Lay Ministry Report
Corban University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major ranking, coming in at #12. Corban is a small school located in Salem, Oregon that handed out 8 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Lay Ministry at Corban University
Judson University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major ranking. This small school is located in Elgin, Illinois, and it awarded 4 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Full Judson Lay Ministry Report
University of Northwestern - St Paul did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major ranking, coming in at #14. University of Northwestern - St Paul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Lay Ministry at Northwestern
Grace College and Theological Seminary landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major ranking. Grace College and Theological Seminary is located in Winona Lake, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 7 masters’s lay ministry degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Grace College and Theological Seminary Lay Ministry Report
Fordham University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major list. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s lay ministry degrees to 17 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read full report on Lay Ministry at Fordham U
Ursuline College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major list. Located in Pepper Pike, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified masters’s lay ministry students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Ursuline College Lay Ministry Report
University of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major ranking. UST MN is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 8 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Lay Ministry at University of St Thomas Minnesota
With a ranking of #19, Merrimack College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major list. This medium-sized school is located in North Andover, Massachusetts, and it awarded 7 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Lay Ministry at Merrimack
Marian University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major ranking. Marian is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 masters’s lay ministry degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Marian University Lay Ministry Report
With a ranking of #20, La Salle University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major list. La Salle is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 masters’s lay ministry degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Lay Ministry at La Salle University
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major ranking. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Louisville, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Lay Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Universidad Teologica del Caribe landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major ranking. UTC is a small school located in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico that handed out 0 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Lay Ministry at UTC
Saint Vincent Seminary came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Lay Ministry Major ranking. This small school is located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 0 masters’s lay ministry degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Saint Vincent Seminary Lay Ministry 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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.
