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2025 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in the Southeast Region

14 Colleges in the Southeast Region
5,961 Theology Degrees Awarded
$49,215 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in theological & ministerial studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #63 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for theological & ministerial studies students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 5,961 degrees in theological & ministerial studies to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Theological & Ministerial Studies School

Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in the Southeast Region Your choice of theological & ministerial studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Theological & Ministerial Studies 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.

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

The theology 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 Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in the Southeast 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 Theological & Ministerial Studies in the Southeast Region

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

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in Theology

1
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,777 Theology Degrees Awarded
4.8% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat Liberty University if you wish to pursue a degree in theological & ministerial studies. Located in the 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 about 1777 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. After graduation, theology degree recipients usually make around $50,742 in the first five years of their career.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In SC
62 Theology Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in theological & ministerial studies has to take a look at Columbia International University. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, CIU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #329 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means CIU is a great university overall.

There were about 62 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at CIU in the most recent year we have data available.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
449 Theology Degrees Awarded
$32,605 Median Starting Salary

Southeastern University is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in theological & ministerial studies. SEU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Lakeland. A Best Colleges rank of #815 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SEU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 449 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at SEU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the theology program earn an average of $32,605 in their early career salary.

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

4
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
220 Theology Degrees Awarded
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Regent University is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in theological & ministerial studies. Regent is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Virginia Beach. This university ranks 21st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 220 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Regent in the most recent data year. After graduation, theology degree recipients generally earn about $49,840 in their early careers.

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

5
Johnson University crest
Johnson University
Knoxville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Theology Degrees Awarded
$33,627 Median Starting Salary

Located in the rural area of Knoxville, Johnson University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

There were approximately 49 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Johnson University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the theology program earn an average of $33,627 for their early career.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In AR

Located in the distant town of Searcy, Harding is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #640 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Harding is a great university overall.

There were approximately 13 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Harding in the most recent data year.

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

7
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Theology Degrees Awarded
$42,658 Median Starting Salary

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 about 36 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the theology program state that they receive average early career income of $42,658.

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

8
Palm Beach Atlantic crest
Palm Beach Atlantic University
West Palm Beach, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$28,383 Median Starting Salary

Palm Beach Atlantic is a small private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of West Palm Beach. This university ranks 59th out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 29 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at Palm Beach Atlantic in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the theology program report average early career earnings of $28,383.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from Palm Beach Atlantic University

9
AMU crest
Ave Maria University
Ave Maria, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Theology Degrees Awarded
$26,924 Median Starting Salary

AMU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Ave Maria. This university ranks 64th out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 35 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at AMU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the theology program state that they receive average early career income of $26,924.

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

10

Located in the rural area of Graceville, BCF is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were about 18 theological & ministerial studies students who graduated with this degree at BCF in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the theology program earn about $34,350 for their early career.

More information about a degree in theological & ministerial studies from The Baptist College of Florida

Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best theological & ministerial studies schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 435
Florida 282 677
North Carolina 279 757
Virginia 274 1,937
Tennessee 269 342
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 3,055
Theology 2,412
Other Theological & Ministerial Studies 423
Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies 70
Rabbinical Studies 1

View All Theology Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biblical Studies 1,485
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries 787
Missionary Studies 284
Religious Education 266
Sacred Music 242
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other) 174

View All Theology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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