Best Director programs in Pennsylvania, ranked by enrollment
Coordinate or design programs and conduct outreach to promote the religious education or activities of a denominational group.
18 schools in Pennsylvania run programs that feed this job, graduating 549 people a year. The job pays a median of $55,510 in Pennsylvania across about 1,210 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
12 programs in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Pennsylvania (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 Pennsylvania page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bible/Biblical Studiesmain feeder CIP 39.0201In Pennsylvania → | 224 | 40.8% | 7 | $33,182 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 39.0705In Pennsylvania → | 110 | 20.0% | 2 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 3 | CIP 51.3201In Pennsylvania → | 100 | 18.2% | 6 | $99,851 | $21,475 |
| 4 | CIP 39.0701In Pennsylvania → | 65 | 11.8% | 4 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 5 | CIP 39.0702In Pennsylvania → | 17 | 3.1% | 6 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 6 | CIP 39.0799In Pennsylvania → | 15 | 2.7% | 3 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 7 | Missions/Missionary Studiesmain feeder CIP 39.0301In Pennsylvania → | 7 | 1.3% | 2 | $28,103 | $17,318 |
| 8 | Religious Educationmain feeder CIP 39.0401In Pennsylvania → | 4 | 0.7% | 1 | $32,351 | $25,937 |
| 9 | CIP 39.0502In Pennsylvania → | 2 | 0.4% | 1 | $30,092 | $27,000 |
| 10 | CIP 39.0703In Pennsylvania → | 2 | 0.4% | 1 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 11 | CIP 51.1506In Pennsylvania → | 2 | 0.4% | 1 | $37,335 | $22,861 |
| 12 | CIP 39.0706In Pennsylvania → | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
Top 18 schools in Pennsylvania
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 2 of the 18 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lancaster Bible College Lancaster, PA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 216 | Bible/Biblical Studies | $44,601 | 67% | $21,399 | 56% |
| 2 | Westminster Theological Seminary Glenside, PA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 132 | Lay Ministry | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 42 | Bioethics/Medical Ethics | — | 97% | $22,055 | 5% |
| 4 | Cairn University - Langhorne Langhorne, PA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 38 | Bible/Biblical Studies | — | 60% | $28,320 | 88% |
| 5 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Bioethics/Medical Ethics | — | 75% | — | 80% |
| 6 | Eastern University Saint Davids, PA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 21 | Bible/Biblical Studies | — | 54% | $25,146 | 91% |
| 7 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Bioethics/Medical Ethics | — | 77% | $32,060 | 84% |
| 8 | University of Valley Forge Phoenixville, PA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 10 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 49% | $27,182 | 61% |
| 9 | Neumann University Aston, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Pastoral Studies/Counseling | — | 54% | $28,753 | 81% |
| 10 | Geneva College Beaver Falls, PA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 8 | Youth Ministry | — | 61% | $19,540 | — |
| 11 | Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Erie, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Bioethics/Medical Ethics | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Bioethics/Medical Ethics | — | 85% | — | 58% |
| 13 | Waynesburg University Waynesburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 7 | Bible/Biblical Studies | — | 66% | $24,453 | 90% |
| 14 | Juniata College Huntingdon, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Bioethics/Medical Ethics | — | 74% | $24,867 | 79% |
| 15 | Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 5 | Religious Education | $28,885 | 75% | $25,675 | 79% |
| 16 | Moravian University Bethlehem, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies | — | 72% | $28,454 | 54% |
| 17 | Thiel College Greenville, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Youth Ministry | — | 49% | $22,464 | 72% |
| 18 | Won Institute of Graduate Studies Warminster, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Lay Ministry | — | — | — | — |
All 18 schools in Pennsylvania
Every school in Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster Bible College | Lancaster | Private not-for-profit | 216 | 6 |
| Westminster Theological Seminary | Glenside | Private not-for-profit | 132 | 3 |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 42 | 1 |
| Cairn University - Langhorne | Langhorne | Private not-for-profit | 38 | 3 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia | Public | 23 | 1 |
| Eastern University | Saint Davids | Private not-for-profit | 21 | 3 |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 16 | 1 |
| University of Valley Forge | Phoenixville | Private not-for-profit | 10 | 3 |
| Neumann University | Aston | Private not-for-profit | 9 | 1 |
| Geneva College | Beaver Falls | Private not-for-profit | 8 | 3 |
| Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine | Erie | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
| University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh | Public | 7 | 1 |
| Waynesburg University | Waynesburg | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 2 |
| Juniata College | Huntingdon | Private not-for-profit | 5 | 1 |
| Messiah University | Mechanicsburg | Private not-for-profit | 5 | 2 |
What directors, religious activities and education earn in Pennsylvania
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $52,100. Pennsylvania pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Pennsylvania employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Pennsylvania
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 Directors, Religious Activities and Education page.
How to become a Director
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational 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 Pennsylvania
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 16 majors mapped to Directors, Religious Activities and Education16 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 30.2502Contemplative Studies/Inquiry
- 30.5301Thanatology
- 39.0201Bible/Biblical Studies
- 39.0301Missions/Missionary Studies
- 39.0401Religious Education
- 39.0502Worship Ministry
- 39.0599Religious Music and Worship, Other
- 39.0701Pastoral Studies/Counseling
- 39.0702Youth Ministry
- 39.0703Urban Ministry
- 39.0704Women's Ministry
- 39.0705Lay Ministry
- 39.0706Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies
- 39.0799Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Other
- 51.1506Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling
- 51.3201Bioethics/Medical Ethics
Common questions
Answers for people weighing directors, religious activities and education programs in Pennsylvania.
What degree do you need to become a Director?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Bible/Biblical Studies, which awarded 224 degrees in Pennsylvania in 2024-25, 40.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Director?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 12 programs to this occupation. The largest are Bible/Biblical Studies, Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Health Professions Education, Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology, plus 3 more. Together they graduate about 549 people a year in Pennsylvania.
How much do directors, religious activities and education earn in Pennsylvania?+
The median is $55,510 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 6.5% above the U.S. median of $52,100. 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 directors, religious activities and education growing?+
BLS projects a +2.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 13,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Pennsylvania?+
18 institutions in Pennsylvania reported graduates from at least one of the 12 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 directors, religious activities and education work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Youth Pastor, Christian Education Director, Religious Education Director, Children's Ministries Director among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 21-2021.
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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