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

5 Colleges in the Southwest Region
739 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded
$38,263 Avg Early-Career Salary
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries isn't the most popular major in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #171 in popularity out of 395 majors in the country. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 739 degrees in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries annually.

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 Southwest 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for pastoral counseling & specialized ministries 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.

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
Doctor's Degrees in Pastoral Counseling

The pastoral counseling 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 Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southwest 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 Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries in the Southwest Region

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

Top Southwest Region Schools in Pastoral Counseling

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded
$30,910 Median Starting Salary

Southwestern Assemblies of God University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries. Located in the suburb of Waxahachie, Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #948 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 73 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Southwestern Assemblies of God University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the pastoral counseling program make an average of $30,910 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Southwestern Assemblies of God University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$40,502 Median Starting Salary

Dallas Baptist University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries. DBU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Dallas. A Best Colleges rank of #1166 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means DBU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 9 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at DBU in the most recent year we have data available. Those pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who get their degree from Dallas Baptist University receive $2,239 more than the standard pastoral counseling student.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In TX
43.5% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries has to check out Abilene Christian University. Located in the city of Abilene, Abilene Christian is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 57th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 23 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Abilene Christian in the most recent year we have data available.

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

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In OK

Oral Roberts University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries. Located in the large city of Tulsa, ORU is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 15th out of 31 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oklahoma.

There were approximately 13 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at ORU in the most recent data year.

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

5
TKU crest
The King's University
Southlake, TX
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In TX

TKU is a fairly small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Southlake.

There were about 8 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at TKU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from The King’s University

Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Texas 317 343
Arizona 287 9
Oklahoma 257 32
New Mexico 219 0

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
Other Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries 393
Pastoral Studies/Counseling 259
Youth Ministry 44
Urban Ministry 22
Lay Ministry 17
Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies 3
Women’s Ministry 1

View All Pastoral Counseling Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Pastoral Counseling

Related Major Annual Graduates
Theological & Ministerial Studies 1,168
Religious Education 435
Biblical Studies 319
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other) 225
Missionary Studies 54
Sacred Music 42

View All Pastoral Counseling Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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