Best member of the clergy programs in Illinois, ranked by enrollment
Conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination.
21 schools in Illinois run programs that feed this job, graduating 904 people a year. The job pays a median of $61,820 in Illinois across about 2,200 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Illinois that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
8 programs in Illinois that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Illinois (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Illinois page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theology/Theological Studiesmain feeder CIP 39.0601In Illinois → | 299 | 33.1% | 17 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 2 | Divinity/Ministrymain feeder CIP 39.0602In Illinois → | 236 | 26.1% | 18 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 3 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Othermain feeder CIP 39.0699In Illinois → | 154 | 17.0% | 5 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 4 | Pastoral Studies/Counselingmain feeder CIP 39.0701In Illinois → | 147 | 16.3% | 8 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 5 | CIP 51.1506In Illinois → | 41 | 4.5% | 2 | $37,335 | $22,861 |
| 6 | Youth Ministrymain feeder CIP 39.0702In Illinois → | 14 | 1.5% | 3 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 7 | Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studiesmain feeder CIP 39.0604In Illinois → | 8 | 0.9% | 1 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 8 | Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studiesmain feeder CIP 39.0706In Illinois → | 5 | 0.6% | 1 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
Top 21 schools in Illinois
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 1 of the 21 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moody Bible Institute Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 248 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | $33,488 | 62% | $24,848 | 83% |
| 2 | Trinity International University - Illinois Deerfield, IL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 149 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 46% | $20,539 | 100% |
| 3 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 69 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 96% | $13,333 | 4% |
| 4 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 49 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 73% | $33,454 | 82% |
| 5 | University of Saint Mary of the Lake Mundelein, IL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 45 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 44 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Catholic Theological Union at Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 43 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Northern Baptist Theological Seminary Lisle, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 43 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | Wheaton College Wheaton, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 36 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 85% | $23,461 | 87% |
| 10 | North Park University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 34 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 58% | $18,494 | 69% |
| 11 | Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 31 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 61% | $20,903 | 56% |
| 12 | Chicago Theological Seminary Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 24 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | McCormick Theological Seminary Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 21 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 19 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Bexley Hall Seabury Western Theological Seminary Federation, Inc. Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Meadville Theological School of Lombard College Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | — | — |
| 17 | Concordia University - Chicago River Forest, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 8 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 36% | $17,620 | 93% |
| 18 | Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 58% | $15,126 | 85% |
| 19 | Greenville University Greenville, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 40% | $20,472 | 97% |
| 20 | American Islamic College Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | — | 100% |
| 21 | Benedictine University Lisle, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 50% | $23,570 | 95% |
All 21 schools in Illinois
Every school in Illinois with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moody Bible Institute | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 248 | 5 |
| Trinity International University - Illinois | Deerfield | Private not-for-profit | 149 | 4 |
| University of Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 69 | 2 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 49 | 3 |
| University of Saint Mary of the Lake | Mundelein | Private not-for-profit | 45 | 4 |
| Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary | Evanston | Private not-for-profit | 44 | 4 |
| Catholic Theological Union at Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 43 | 3 |
| Northern Baptist Theological Seminary | Lisle | Private not-for-profit | 43 | 3 |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton | Private not-for-profit | 36 | 2 |
| North Park University | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 34 | 3 |
| Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais | Private not-for-profit | 31 | 4 |
| Chicago Theological Seminary | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 24 | 2 |
| McCormick Theological Seminary | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 21 | 4 |
| Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 2 |
| Bexley Hall Seabury Western Theological Seminary Federation, Inc. | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 16 | 2 |
What clergy earn in Illinois
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $60,810. Illinois pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Illinois
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Clergy page.
How to become a member of the clergy
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Illinois
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 9 majors mapped to Clergy9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 39.0601Theology/Theological Studies
- 39.0602Divinity/Ministry
- 39.0604Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies
- 39.0605Rabbinical Studies
- 39.0699Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other
- 39.0701Pastoral Studies/Counseling
- 39.0702Youth Ministry
- 39.0706Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies
- 51.1506Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling
Common questions
Answers for people weighing clergy programs in Illinois.
What degree do you need to become a member of the clergy?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Theology/Theological Studies, which awarded 299 degrees in Illinois in 2024-25, 33.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a member of the clergy?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 8 programs to this occupation. The largest are Theological and Ministerial Studies, Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions. Together they graduate about 904 people a year in Illinois.
How much do clergy earn in Illinois?+
The median is $61,820 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 1.7% above the U.S. median of $60,810. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for clergy growing?+
BLS projects a +1.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 23,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Illinois?+
21 institutions in Illinois reported graduates from at least one of the 8 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do clergy work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Pastor, Priest, Rector, Minister among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 21-2011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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