Theology and Religious Vocations
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Colleges award this field under 6 named programs, from Theology/Theological Studies to Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other.
Inside the major
Programs within this field
Colleges may offer this field under 6 more specific program names. The program you choose affects the courses you take.
- Theology/Theological Studies
- Focuses on the beliefs and doctrine of a particular religious faith from the intramural point of view of that faith. Covers systematic theology, historical theology, moral theology, doctrinal studies, dogmatics, apologetics, and applications to specific questions of ecclesiastical polity and religious life.
- Divinity/Ministry
- Prepares you for ordination as ministers or priests in any of the Christian religious traditions. Covers the theology and polity of a particular church, church law, liturgy and ritual, principles of pastoral ministry, homiletics, evangelism, church/parish organization and management, Christian ethics, church history, and related studies.
- Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies
- Prepares you to enter a seminary or other program leading to religious ordination, or a related religious vocation.
- Rabbinical Studies
- Prepares you for ordination as Rabbis. Covers Talmud, Halacha, Liturgy and Rituals, Rabbinical Thought, Jewish Ethics, Jewish Education, Pastoral Counseling and Homiletics.
- Talmudic Studies
- Moved from 39.0606 to 38.0207
- Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other
- Theological and ministerial studies not listed above, including preparation for religious vocations in faiths other than Christianity and Judaism.
Also called Divinity/Ministry (BD), Divinity/Ministry (MDiv)
Also called Rabbinical Studies (M.H.L./Rav)
Where it can lead
Careers this field can lead to
Explore related careers, starting with the closest connections and the occupations hiring the most people.
Clergy
- Median pay
- $60,810
- Hiring change through 2035
- 2.4%
- Job openings a year
- 19,200
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing with the economyPhilosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $80,260
- Hiring change through 2035
- 2.0%
- Job openings a year
- 1,800
To get hiredDoctoral or professional degree
Explore this career Growing slowlyReligious Workers, All Other
- Median pay
- $45,280
- Hiring change through 2035
- 1.5%
- Job openings a year
- 12,100
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this careerAll work is projected to grow 3.5% between 2025 and 2035; read every hiring-change figure against it. The figures beside each career are the pay of that work, across everyone doing it. Graduates of this field earn $26,858 one year after completing the program, which is the start of a career rather than the shape of one.
Working style
How and where the work happens
Related careers can feel very different from one another. Compare the specific occupations to understand the work each one involves.
Few of the careers connected to this field are measured as substantially in-person or active work. Compare the specific occupations to see how much time each one involves with people, equipment, and movement.
College options
Where to study it
Ordered by how many degrees each college awards in this field. Sort by any numbered column.
| College | Degrees a year | Earnings, first year out | Admit rate | Average annual cost after aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franciscan University of Steubenville OH | 104 | $25,562 | 72% | $20,000 |
| University of Notre Dame IN | 51 | $20,151 | 12% | $11,000 |
| Liberty University VA | 25 | — | 99% | $27,000 |
| University of Dallas TX | 18 | — | 54% | $17,000 |
| University of Chicago IL | 15 | — | 5% | $0 |
| Palm Beach Atlantic University FL | 14 | $26,858 | 88% | $26,000 |
| Marquette University WI | 12 | — | 87% | $27,000 |
| Concordia University-Irvine CA | 10 | — | 60% | $26,000 |
| Grove City College PA | 10 | — | 73% | — |
| Concordia University-Wisconsin WI | 9 | $34,321 | 68% | $33,000 |
| Boston College MA | 8 | $40,529 | 16% | $13,000 |
| Providence College RI | 8 | — | 49% | $25,000 |
| Saint Louis University MO | 6 | — | 81% | $22,000 |
| Saint Edward's University TX | 6 | — | 84% | $23,000 |
| Creighton University NE | 5 | — | 72% | $23,000 |
| Loyola Marymount University CA | 4 | — | 40% | $34,000 |
| Concordia University-Chicago IL | 4 | — | 93% | $16,000 |
| Loyola University New Orleans LA | 4 | — | 88% | $22,000 |
| Mount St. Mary's University MD | 4 | — | 72% | $22,000 |
| University of Portland OR | 4 | — | 95% | $24,000 |
| Dominican University IL | 3 | — | 80% | $12,000 |
| Valparaiso University IN | 3 | — | 92% | $15,000 |
| University of St Thomas MN | 3 | — | 85% | $24,000 |
| Seton Hall University NJ | 3 | — | 79% | $27,000 |
| University of San Francisco CA | 2 | — | 51% | $34,000 |
| St. Thomas University FL | 2 | — | 99% | $27,000 |
| Loyola University Chicago IL | 2 | — | 81% | $32,000 |
| Assumption University MA | 2 | — | 87% | $25,000 |
| St. John's University-New York NY | 2 | — | 80% | $29,000 |
| Villanova University PA | 2 | — | 25% | $21,000 |
| Elmhurst University IL | 1 | — | 76% | $23,000 |
| Anderson University IN | 1 | — | 53% | $22,000 |
| Stonehill College MA | 1 | — | 73% | $26,000 |
| Duquesne University PA | 1 | — | 79% | $32,000 |
| Gannon University PA | 1 | — | 77% | $20,000 |
| Charleston Southern University SC | 1 | — | 76% | $21,000 |
| Belmont University TN | 1 | — | 96% | $28,000 |
| Houston Christian University TX | 1 | — | 85% | $20,000 |
| St. Mary's University TX | 1 | — | 89% | $21,000 |