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2023 Best Value Colleges for Theology & Religious Vocations

142 Ranked Colleges
27,459 Degrees Awarded
$22,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Theology & Religious Vocations is the 26th most popular major in the country with 27,459 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, theology and religious vocations graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $36,020 and had an average of $26,322 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” ranking analyzed 142 colleges that offered a degree in theology and religious vocations. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great theology and religious vocations programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the theology and religious vocations program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools

The colleges and universities below are the best for theology & religious vocations students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Theology & Religious Vocations

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools list. Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a small school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 594 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MBTS, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is $19,405 for theology & religious vocations students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

2
Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School crest
Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 142 schools in the Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Moody Bible Institute landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 706 diplomas to qualified ’s theology and religious vocations students in 2020-2021.

Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School also made our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School is $19,679 for Theology & Religious Vocations students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School

3
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

Out of the 142 schools in the Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Canyon University landed the #3 spot on the list. Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit institution located in Phoenix, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 462 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Grand Canyon University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Canyon University is $20,585 for Theology & Religious Vocations students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

Read more about Theology & Religious Vocations at Grand Canyon University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lincoln Christian University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools list. Lincoln Christian University is a small school located in Lincoln, Illinois that handed out 107 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Lincoln Christian College and Seminary is $19,638 for Theology & Religious Vocations students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at Lincoln Christian College and Seminary

5
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Liberty University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools list. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,235 degrees to qualified ’s theology and religious vocations students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $29,382 for Theology & Religious Vocations students.

Full Liberty University Theology & Religious Vocations Report

6
Fuller crest
Fuller Theological Seminary
Pasadena, California

Fuller Theological Seminary ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 492 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our theology & religious vocations students list, Fuller has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” ranking.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. 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 full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at Fuller

7
Johnson University crest
Johnson University
Knoxville, Tennessee

Johnson University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools list. Johnson University is a small school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 261 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johnson University, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johnson University is $17,671 for Theology & Religious Vocations students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Theology & Religious Vocations at Johnson University

8
The Master's University crest
The Master's University and Seminary
Santa Clarita, California

With a ranking of #8, The Master’s University and Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools list. The Master’s University and Seminary is a small school located in Santa Clarita, California that handed out 235 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

The Master’s University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” list. It costs about $30,238 for Theology & Religious Vocations students per year to attend The Master’s University and Seminary.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at The Master’s University

9
Ozark Christian College crest
Ozark Christian College
Joplin, Missouri

Ozark Christian College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking. Ozark Christian College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joplin, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 141 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,052 for theology & religious vocations students per year to attend Ozark Christian College.

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%.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at Ozark Christian College

10
OCU crest
Ohio Christian University
Circleville, Ohio

Ohio Christian University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking, coming in at #10. Ohio Christian University is located in Circleville, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 169 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio Christian University is $22,901 for theology & religious vocations students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at OCU

11

Grace College and Theological Seminary came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking. Grace College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winona Lake, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 87 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $20,060 for Theology & Religious Vocations students per year to attend Grace College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at Grace College

12
Harding crest
Harding University
Searcy, Arkansas

Harding University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools list. Located in Searcy, Arkansas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 65 diplomas to qualified ’s theology and religious vocations students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Harding University is $19,456 for theology & religious vocations students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at Harding University

13
CIU crest
Columbia International University
Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia International University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools list. Columbia International University is a small school located in Columbia, South Carolina that handed out 190 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CIU is also in the top of our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Columbia International University is $18,222 for Theology & Religious Vocations students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Columbia International University Theology & Religious Vocations Report

14
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington

Seattle University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 47 diplomas to qualified ’s theology and religious vocations students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Seattle University is $35,109 for theology & religious vocations students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at Seattle University

15

Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools list. Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global is a private not-for-profit institution located in Marion, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 238 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global is $18,904 for Theology & Religious Vocations students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at IWU

16

McCormick Theological Seminary came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking. McCormick Theological Seminary is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 49 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 McCormick Theological Seminary Theology & Religious Vocations Report

17

With a ranking of #17, Dallas Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools list. DTS Dallas is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 430 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

DTS Dallas also took the #23 spot in our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” ranking.

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%.

Read more about Theology & Religious Vocations at Dallas Theological Seminary

18
Bethel University Minnesota crest
Bethel University Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Bethel University Minnesota landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking. Bethel University Minnesota is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 141 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $28,178 for Theology & Religious Vocations students per year to attend Bethel University Minnesota.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at Bethel University Minnesota

19
Asbury Seminary crest
Asbury Theological Seminary
Wilmore, Kentucky
Top 20% in overall quality
$37,831 Average Early-Career Earnings

Asbury Theological Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Wilmore, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 295 diplomas to qualified ’s theology and religious vocations students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Asbury Seminary is also in the top of our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” list.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Theology & Religious Vocations at Asbury Theological Seminary

20
School of Urban Missions crest
SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary
El Dorado Hills, California

SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking. Located in El Dorado Hills, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 105 degrees to qualified ’s theology and religious vocations students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend School of Urban Missions is $19,115 for Theology & Religious Vocations students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Theology & Religious Vocations at School of Urban Missions

21
CSU crest
Clarks Summit University
South Abington Township, Pennsylvania

Clarks Summit University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking. Clarks Summit University is a small school located in South Abington Township, Pennsylvania that handed out 119 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Clarks Summit University is $17,398 for Theology & Religious Vocations students.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at CSU

22
MLC crest
Martin Luther College
New Ulm, Minnesota

Martin Luther College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking. This small school is located in New Ulm, Minnesota, and it awarded 88 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Martin Luther College is $22,205 for theology & religious vocations students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at MLC

23

Southwestern Assemblies of God University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking, coming in at #23. Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Waxahachie, Texas. It awarded 187 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $23,976 for Theology & Religious Vocations students per year to attend Southwestern Assemblies of God University.

Full Southwestern Assemblies of God University Theology & Religious Vocations Report

24
Luther Seminary crest
Luther Seminary
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Top 20% in overall quality
$64,417 Average Early-Career Earnings

With a ranking of #24, Luther Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theology and religious vocations degrees to 128 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Luther Seminary is in the top on our “Best Theology & Religious Vocations Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Theology & Religious Vocations at Luther Seminary

25
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theology & Religious Vocations Schools ranking. This fairly large school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 290 ’s theology and religious vocations degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $24,888 for Theology & Religious Vocations students per year to attend Regent University.

Read more about Theology & Religious Vocations at Regent

Notes and References

References

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