Best Schools for Pastoral Counseling in 2026
These are the top schools offering Pastoral Counseling, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Pastoral Counseling graduate earns $31,976/yr across 22 schools.
All Pastoral Counseling Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Grace Christian University
Wyoming, MI · Private nonprofit |
45
45–45 |
$48,916/yr | 7.2x |
| 2 |
Lubbock Christian University
Lubbock, TX · Private nonprofit |
33
37–34 |
$38,473/yr | 2.5x |
| 3 |
Evangel University
Springfield, MO · Private nonprofit |
32
34–32 |
$41,357/yr | 2.7x |
| 4 |
Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit |
31
37–32 |
$35,426/yr | 6.1x |
| 5 |
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit |
31
37–31 |
$34,083/yr | 4.9x |
| 6 |
Life Pacific University
San Dimas, CA · Private nonprofit |
30
35–31 |
$37,436/yr | 4.0x |
| 7 |
Taylor University
Upland, IN · Private nonprofit |
30
35–31 |
$37,035/yr | 1.4x |
| 8 |
Southeastern University
Lakeland, FL · Private nonprofit |
29
34–29 |
$35,209/yr | 1.8x |
| 9 |
Lee University
Cleveland, TN · Private nonprofit |
28
34–29 |
$35,189/yr | 3.8x |
| 10 |
Johnson University Florida
Kissimmee, FL · Private nonprofit |
25
33–26 |
$30,006/yr | 2.8x |
| 11 |
Johnson University
Knoxville, TN · Private nonprofit |
25
33–26 |
$30,006/yr | 2.7x |
| 12 |
Lancaster Bible College
Lancaster, PA · Private nonprofit |
24
30–25 |
$35,286/yr | 1.9x |
| 13 |
Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA · Private nonprofit |
24
31–25 |
$33,407/yr | 3.0x |
| 14 |
Bethel University
Mishawaka, IN · Private nonprofit |
23
31–24 |
$31,046/yr | 1.3x |
| 15 |
Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Waxahachie, TX · Private nonprofit |
23
31–24 |
$30,910/yr | 4.2x |
| 16 |
Calvary University
Kansas City, MO · Private nonprofit |
22
28–23 |
$23,330/yr | 3.3x |
| 17 |
John Brown University
Siloam Springs, AR · Private nonprofit |
21
29–22 |
$27,996/yr | 1.3x |
| 18 |
Grace College and Theological Seminary
Winona Lake, IN · Private nonprofit |
20
27–21 |
$25,060/yr | 3.2x |
| 19 |
North Central University
Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofit |
19
27–20 |
$27,370/yr | 2.8x |
| 20 |
Spring Arbor University
Spring Arbor, MI · Private nonprofit |
18
20–18 |
$19,557/yr | 0.5x |
| 21 |
Crown College
Saint Bonifacius, MN · Private nonprofit |
18
26–19 |
$26,538/yr | 2.5x |
| 22 |
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion
Marion, IN · Private nonprofit |
15
17–15 |
$19,836/yr | 1.8x |
Methodology
Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.