Best degree programs for Clergy, ranked by enrollment
9 college programs and 442 schools train Clergy. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $60,810 median wage, 57,200 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
9 college programs at 442 schools train clergy, graduating 16,462 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Divinity/Ministry. The job pays a median of $60,810 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About clergy
Conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination. Provide spiritual and moral guidance and assistance to members.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
9 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Divinity/Ministrymain feeder CIP 39.0602 | 6,494 | 39.4% | 250 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 2 | Theology/Theological Studiesmain feeder CIP 39.0601 | 6,127 | 37.2% | 288 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 3 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Othermain feeder CIP 39.0699 | 1,694 | 10.3% | 116 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 4 | Pastoral Studies/Counselingmain feeder CIP 39.0701 | 1,283 | 7.8% | 105 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 5 | Youth Ministrymain feeder CIP 39.0702 | 253 | 1.5% | 60 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 6 | CIP 51.1506 | 217 | 1.3% | 18 | $37,335 | $22,861 |
| 7 | Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studiesmain feeder CIP 39.0604 | 180 | 1.1% | 34 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 8 | Rabbinical Studiesmain feeder CIP 39.0605 | 153 | 0.9% | 11 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 9 | Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studiesmain feeder CIP 39.0706 | 61 | 0.4% | 12 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 1,948 | Theology/Theological Studies | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 2 | The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, KY Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 821 | Divinity/Ministry | 40% | — | 56% |
| 3 | Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Kansas City, MO Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 575 | Divinity/Ministry | 48% | $26,572 | 96% |
| 4 | Southeastern University Lakeland, FL Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 404 | Divinity/Ministry | 43% | $29,915 | 53% |
| 5 | Dallas Theological Seminary Dallas, TX Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 374 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | — | — |
| 6 | Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, NC Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 303 | Divinity/Ministry | 58% | $6,608 | 75% |
| 7 | Fuller Theological Seminary Pasadena, CA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 294 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | — | — |
| 8 | New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary New Orleans, LA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 292 | Divinity/Ministry | 74% | — | — |
| 9 | Moody Bible Institute Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 248 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | 62% | $24,848 | 83% |
| 10 | Asbury Theological Seminary Wilmore, KY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 245 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | — |
| 11 | Franciscan University of Steubenville Steubenville, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 213 | Theology/Theological Studies | 75% | $21,122 | 58% |
| 12 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 212 | Theology/Theological Studies | 97% | $16,260 | 6% |
| 13 | Gordon - Conwell Theological Seminary South Hamilton, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 207 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | — | — |
| 14 | Regent University Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 172 | Divinity/Ministry | 57% | $18,677 | 38% |
| 15 | Andrews University Berrien Springs, MI Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 169 | Divinity/Ministry | 72% | $17,800 | 82% |
| 16 | Oral Roberts University Tulsa, OK Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 161 | Divinity/Ministry | 57% | $23,543 | 99% |
| 17 | Kairos University Sioux Falls, SD Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 151 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | 85% |
| 18 | The Master's University and Seminary Santa Clarita, CA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 151 | Theology/Theological Studies | 68% | $30,641 | 84% |
| 19 | Trinity International University - Illinois Deerfield, IL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 149 | Theology/Theological Studies | 46% | $20,539 | 100% |
| 20 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 139 | Theology/Theological Studies | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 21 | Biola University La Mirada, CA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 132 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | 68% | $26,727 | 74% |
| 22 | Western Seminary Portland, OR Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 127 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | — |
| 23 | Emory University Atlanta, GA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 123 | Divinity/Ministry | 91% | $20,586 | 11% |
| 24 | University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 119 | Theology/Theological Studies | 95% | $19,452 | 11% |
| 25 | Rabbinical Seminary of America Flushing, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 117 | Theology/Theological Studies | 30% | $6,533 | 98% |
| 26 | Lancaster Bible College Lancaster, PA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 110 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | 67% | $21,399 | 56% |
| 27 | University of St Thomas Houston, TX Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 110 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | 69% | $19,546 | 90% |
| 28 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 108 | Theology/Theological Studies | 91% | $21,126 | 16% |
| 29 | Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton, NJ Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 104 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | — |
| 30 | Concordia Seminary Saint Louis, MO Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 102 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | — | — |
| 31 | Pentecostal Theological Seminary Cleveland, TN Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 97 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | — | — |
| 32 | SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary El Dorado Hills, CA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 96 | Theology/Theological Studies | 85% | $21,043 | 41% |
| 33 | Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 95 | Theology/Theological Studies | 84% | $33,246 | 63% |
| 34 | Virginia Union University Richmond, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 95 | Divinity/Ministry | 34% | $21,249 | 98% |
| 35 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 93 | Divinity/Ministry | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 36 | George Fox University Newberg, OR Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 88 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | 72% | $26,564 | 94% |
| 37 | Holy Apostles College and Seminary Cromwell, CT Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 82 | Theology/Theological Studies | 79% | $16,073 | — |
| 38 | Luther Seminary Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 82 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | — | — |
| 39 | Yale University New Haven, CT Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 79 | Divinity/Ministry | 96% | $27,025 | 4% |
| 40 | Eastern University Saint Davids, PA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 77 | Theology/Theological Studies | 54% | $25,146 | 91% |
| 41 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 77 | Divinity/Ministry | 43% | $21,535 | 79% |
| 42 | Drew University Madison, NJ Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 76 | Divinity/Ministry | 70% | $23,094 | 68% |
| 43 | Columbia International University Columbia, SC Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 75 | Theology/Theological Studies | 47% | $21,361 | 94% |
| 44 | Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 71 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | — | — |
| 45 | The King's University Southlake, TX Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 69 | Theology/Theological Studies | 47% | $23,878 | 61% |
| 46 | Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 69 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | — |
| 47 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 69 | Theology/Theological Studies | 96% | $13,333 | 4% |
| 48 | Baylor University Waco, TX Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 68 | Divinity/Ministry | 80% | $35,682 | 51% |
| 49 | Lee University Cleveland, TN Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 66 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | 63% | $18,918 | 71% |
| 50 | Mesivta Torah Vodaath Rabbinical Seminary Brooklyn, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 63 | Rabbinical Studies | 50% | $5,636 | 80% |
What clergy earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $55,430 | 1,220 | 0.81× | 9 | 2,305 |
| California | $77,710 | 7,110 | 1.06× | 45 | 1,339 |
| Texas | $59,480 | 3,180 | 0.61× | 31 | 1,149 |
| Kentucky | $58,920 | 410 | 0.55× | 9 | 1,138 |
| Missouri | $58,740 | 920 | 0.86× | 20 | 1,035 |
| Illinois | $61,820 | 2,200 | 0.98× | 21 | 904 |
| North Carolina | $59,600 | 1,430 | 0.79× | 16 | 751 |
| Florida | $56,940 | 3,560 | 0.97× | 13 | 652 |
| Massachusetts | $72,190 | 840 | 0.63× | 10 | 626 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,300 | 2,150 | 0.96× | 26 | 552 |
| New York | $58,580 | 7,790 | 2.19× | 19 | 530 |
| Ohio | $59,160 | 2,020 | 0.99× | 19 | 507 |
| Indiana | $59,020 | 1,060 | 0.90× | 22 | 499 |
| Tennessee | $57,260 | 710 | 0.59× | 17 | 448 |
| Michigan | $56,490 | 1,880 | 1.16× | 12 | 413 |
| Minnesota | $61,230 | 1,160 | 1.07× | 14 | 373 |
| Louisiana | $54,140 | 400 | 0.56× | 6 | 336 |
| Georgia | $60,530 | 1,380 | 0.77× | 12 | 308 |
| Oklahoma | $59,110 | 510 | 0.82× | 8 | 290 |
| Oregon | $63,140 | 3,850 | 5.33× | 6 | 259 |
| New Jersey | $65,500 | 1,460 | 0.93× | 7 | 244 |
| Connecticutmoderate | $63,470 | 900 | 1.44× | 3 | 174 |
| South Carolina | $56,630 | 450 | 0.53× | 9 | 165 |
| South Dakotalimited | $59,860 | 140 | 0.84× | 2 | 154 |
| Colorado | $63,700 | 440 | 0.41× | 5 | 129 |
| Wisconsin | $60,950 | 770 | 0.71× | 7 | 123 |
| Alabama | $50,180 | 850 | 1.10× | 6 | 122 |
| Washington | $80,830 | 1,060 | 0.81× | 9 | 118 |
| Arizona | $61,900 | 1,070 | 0.90× | 5 | 107 |
| District of Columbia | $64,800 | 310 | 1.21× | 5 | 100 |
| Iowa | $60,630 | 370 | 0.64× | 7 | 97 |
| Kansas | $52,130 | 450 | 0.85× | 9 | 88 |
| North Dakotalimited | $60,680 | 120 | 0.76× | 2 | 66 |
| Maryland | $61,620 | 670 | 0.66× | 6 | 62 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $57,520 | 270 | 0.71× | 3 | 43 |
| Mainelimited | $64,340 | 160 | 0.68× | 1 | 41 |
| West Virginialimited | $48,460 | 290 | 1.12× | 2 | 32 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $49,070 | 350 | 0.72× | 4 | 25 |
| Hawaiilimited | $61,050 | 720 | 3.13× | 1 | 17 |
| Idahomoderate | $59,570 | 150 | 0.46× | 3 | 17 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $59,660 | 230 | 1.27× | 1 | 16 |
| Mississippilimited | $52,450 | 250 | 0.59× | 1 | 11 |
| Alaskalimited | $55,780 | 150 | 1.23× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Pray and promote spirituality.
- Prepare and deliver sermons or other talks.
- Read from sacred texts, such as the Bible, Torah, or Koran.
- Organize and lead regular religious services.
- Instruct people who seek conversion to a particular faith.
- Share information about religious issues by writing articles, giving speeches, or teaching.
- Counsel individuals or groups concerning their spiritual, emotional, or personal needs.
- Administer religious rites or ordinances.
Skills
- Speaking4.8
- Active Listening4.3
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Writing3.9
- Active Learning3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Learning Strategies3.6
- Monitoring3.5
Knowledge areas
- Philosophy and Theology4.7
- English Language4.2
- Administration and Management4.1
- Customer and Personal Service4.0
- Education and Training3.8
- Therapy and Counseling3.8
Abilities
- Speech Clarity4.9
- Oral Expression4.8
- Oral Comprehension4.1
- Deductive Reasoning4.0
- Inductive Reasoning4.0
- Problem Sensitivity4.0
Core activities
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.3
- Assisting and Caring for Others4.3
- Getting Information4.2
- Developing and Building Teams4.0
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.0
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.8
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
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.
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
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
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 Divinity/Ministry, which awarded 6,494 degrees in 2024-25, 39.4% 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 9 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 16,462 people a year.
How much do clergy earn?+
The median is $60,810 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $37,860 at the 10th percentile to $98,890 at the 90th. 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?+
442 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 9 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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