by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Theology is the 127th most popular major in the country with 6,583 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 3,734 theology graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major” ranking, we looked at 229 colleges that offer a degree in theology. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their theology program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree theology students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Shepherds Theological Seminary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major list. Shepherds Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cary, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 masters’s 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.
Out of the 229 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies landed the #1 spot on the list. Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 31 masters’s theology degrees in 2021-2022.
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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kenrick Glennon Seminary. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified masters’s theology students 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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hood Theological Seminary. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major. This small school is located in Salisbury, North Carolina, and it awarded 14 masters’s theology degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Out of the 229 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 6 masters’s theology 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 full report on Theology at Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family
With a ranking of #6, St Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major list. SBSTM is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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.
Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major list. SHSST is a small school located in Franklin, Wisconsin that handed out 15 masters’s theology 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 full report on Theology at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology
Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major ranking, coming in at #8. Byzantine Catholic Seminary is a small school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 5 masters’s theology degrees in 2021-2022.
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.
Full Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius Theology Report
With a ranking of #9, Franciscan School of Theology did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major list. FST is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 10 masters’s theology 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 full report on Theology at Franciscan School of Theology
Northeastern Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major ranking, coming in at #10. Northeastern Seminary is located in Rochester, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 13 masters’s theology degrees to qualified students.
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 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Saint Vladimirs Orthodox Theological Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major ranking, coming in at #10. Yonkers, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theology degrees to 11 students in 2021-2022.
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 at Saint Vladimirs Orthodox Theological Seminary
American Baptist Seminary of the West did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major ranking, coming in at #13. Berkeley, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theology degrees to 13 students 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.
Read more about Theology at American Baptist Seminary of the West
Unification Theological Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major ranking, coming in at #14. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified masters’s theology students 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.
Graduate Theological Union did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 14 masters’s theology 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Catholic Distance University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major ranking. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theology degrees to 18 students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
The General Theological Seminary ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major list. The General Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 13 masters’s theology 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Urshan Graduate School of Theology ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major list. This small school is located in Wentzville, Missouri, and it awarded 8 masters’s theology 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.
Starr King School for Ministry did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major ranking, coming in at #18. Oakland, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theology degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
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%. 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.
Holy Apostles College and Seminary landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major ranking. Cromwell, Connecticut is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theology degrees to 65 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Theology at Holy Apostles College and Seminary
Phillips Theological Seminary came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major ranking. Phillips Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Read full report on Theology at Phillips Theological Seminary
With a ranking of #22, Church Divinity School of the Pacific did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theology degrees to 2 students 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 full report on Theology at Church Divinity School of the Pacific
Union Theological Seminary ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theology degrees to 32 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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.
With a ranking of #24, Bethany Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major list. Bethany Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Richmond, Indiana. It awarded 8 masters’s theology degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. 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.
With a ranking of #25, Barclay College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Theology Major list. This small school is located in Haviland, Kansas, and it awarded 22 masters’s theology degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 35 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Read more about our data sources and methodologies