Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies maps to BLS occupations averaging about $89,386, with roughly 64,270 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $7,172; common paths include Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary and Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary.
Key Statistics
Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies: what the data shows
Common questions about pre-theology/pre-ministerial studies degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a pre-theology/pre-ministerial studies degree?
A Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies program is classified under NCES CIP 39.0604 in the Theological and Ministerial Studies field family (39.06).
A program that prepares individuals to enter a seminary or other program leading to religious ordination, or a related religious vocation
IPEDS counted 117 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of pre-theology/pre-ministerial studies degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 39.06 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Divinity/Ministry (CIP 39.0602)
- Rabbinical Studies (CIP 39.0605)
- Talmudic Studies (CIP 39.0606)
- Theology/Theological Studies (CIP 39.0601)
How long does it take to get a pre-theology/pre-ministerial studies degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 39.0604 in our file:
- 5 Associate (3.9% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 117 Bachelor's (90.7% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 7 Master's (5.4% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 39.0604, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a pre-theology/pre-ministerial studies degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
| Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 12,680 | $75,890 |
| Psychiatric Aides | 34,900 | $41,590 |
| Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors | — | — |
| Mental Health Counselors | — | — |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | 5,260 | $95,770 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a pre-theology/pre-ministerial studies degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Theological and Ministerial Studies bachelor's program family: median debt $37,365, median earnings $44,535 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.16.
About 5.1% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $7,172 and median net price is $22,300.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$7,172 Median In-State Public
$30,265 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies majors are, on average, $7,172 for in-state public colleges, and $30,265 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
| 2 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
| 3 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
| 4 | Liberty University | VA | 50,012 |
| 5 | Liberty University | VA | 50,012 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley School of Theology | CA | $2,856 |
| 2 | Berkeley School of Theology | CA | $2,856 |
| 3 | Berkeley School of Theology | CA | $2,856 |
| 4 | Grace Mission University | CA | $3,370 |
| 5 | Grace Mission University | CA | $3,370 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of Biblical Studies-Houston | TX | $672 |
| 2 | San Diego Christian College | CA | $992 |
| 3 | Trinity International University-Illinois | IL | $2,835 |
| 4 | Trinity International University-Illinois | IL | $2,835 |
| 5 | Trinity International University-Illinois | IL | $2,835 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies is in MN (52 completions). That state represents about 44.4% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is MN (0.06% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| MN | 52 | 44.4% | 0.06% |
| TX | 13 | 11.1% | 0.00% |
| AZ | 11 | 9.4% | 0.01% |
| MA | 8 | 6.8% | 0.01% |
| TN | 8 | 6.8% | 0.01% |
| WI | 8 | 6.8% | 0.01% |
| FL | 4 | 3.4% | 0.00% |
| AR | 3 | 2.6% | 0.01% |
| SC | 3 | 2.6% | 0.01% |
| IN | 2 | 1.7% | 0.00% |
| NC | 2 | 1.7% | 0.00% |
| IL | 1 | 0.8% | 0.00% |
| KY | 1 | 0.8% | 0.00% |
| MI | 1 | 0.8% | 0.00% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 39.06 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Divinity/Ministry CIP 39.0602
- Rabbinical Studies CIP 39.0605
- Talmudic Studies CIP 39.0606
- Theology/Theological Studies CIP 39.0601
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 39.0604 in the survey year used in our extract (129 total across levels below).
- 5 Associate (3.9% of IPEDS total)
- 117 Bachelor's (90.7% of IPEDS total)
- 7 Master's (5.4% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $89,386. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $129,630 | 11,430 |
| Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $141,278 | 12,680 |
| Psychiatric Aides | $51,699 | 34,900 |
| Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors | — | — |
| Mental Health Counselors | — | — |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | $126,897 | 5,260 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Theological and Ministerial Studies CIP family (4 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies graduate.
- $37,365 median federal loan debt among completers
- $44,535 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.16 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 5.1% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$89,386 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies majors is $89,386.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies majors.
Occupations by Share
64,270 2023 Workforce
The number of Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies.
Age distribution for Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
117 Total Degrees Awarded
103 Male (88.03%)
14 Female (11.97%)
Gender distribution of Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
96 White (82.05%)
11 Hispanic or Latino (9.40%)
4 Two or More Races (3.42%)
2 Asian (1.71%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals to enter a seminary or other program leading to religious ordination, or a related religious vocation
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies.
CIP Code
39.0604 - Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $37,365 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $44,535, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.16. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies graduate.
Men earned 20.8% of 192 Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $89,386. The largest mapped role by headcount is Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (11,430 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $7,172 in-state at public colleges and $30,265 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.