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2025 Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region

5 Colleges in the Southeast Region
787 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded
$38,263 Avg Early-Career Salary
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries is about average in terms of popularity for degree programs. That is, it ranks #171 out of the 395 majors across the country that we analyze each year. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 5 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 787 degrees in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries School

Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region The pastoral counseling program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries rankings. We derive our Best Overall Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries 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.

Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Pastoral Counseling
Bachelor's Degrees in Pastoral Counseling
Master's Degrees in Pastoral Counseling

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 Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region list to help you make the college decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries in the Southeast Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the pastoral counseling degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Southeast Region Schools in Pastoral Counseling

1
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
74 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded
$35,189 Median Starting Salary

Lee University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries. Located in the small city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 74 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, pastoral counseling degree recipients typically earn about $35,189 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Lee University

2
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
161 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded
26.1% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries has to look into Liberty University. 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 #265 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 161 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the pastoral counseling program make about $34,083 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Liberty University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded
40.5% Growth in Graduates

Southeastern University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries. SEU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Lakeland. A Best Colleges rank of #815 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SEU is a great university overall.

There were about 37 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at SEU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the pastoral counseling program report average early career wages of $35,209.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Southeastern University

4
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded
$33,407 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries needs to check out Regent University. Regent is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Virginia Beach. This university ranks 21st out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 36 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Regent in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the pastoral counseling program make about $33,407 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Regent University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$38,760 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Lithonia, Luther Rice is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

There were approximately 22 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Luther Rice in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the pastoral counseling program make around $38,760 for their early career.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Luther Rice College & Seminary

Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Colleges by State

Explore the best pastoral counseling & specialized ministries schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 48
Florida 282 41
North Carolina 279 68
Virginia 274 93
Tennessee 269 146
South Carolina 248 23
Kentucky 244 86
Louisiana 242 72
Mississippi 234 0
Arkansas 234 20
Alabama 233 32

View All Rankings >

One of 7 majors within the Theology & Religious Vocations area of study, Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries has other similar majors worth exploring.

Pastoral Counseling Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Pastoral Studies/Counseling 333
Other Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries 163
Youth Ministry 142
Lay Ministry 99
Women’s Ministry 31
Urban Ministry 19

View All Pastoral Counseling Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Theological & Ministerial Studies 5,961
Biblical Studies 1,485
Missionary Studies 284
Religious Education 266
Sacred Music 242
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other) 174

View All Pastoral Counseling Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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