2026 Best Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region

Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools to find the best for clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region

Best Schools for Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling in the Southeast Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling education in the Southeast Region.

Top Schools in Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling

1

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Wake Forest, NC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

24 Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Degrees Awarded

$54,863 Median Starting Salary

Our analysis ranked Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary the best school in the country for a degree in clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling. Set in the suburb of Wake Forest, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 17% of students finish within six years. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary awarded about 24 clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling degrees in the most recent data year. Clinical Pastoral Counseling/patient Counseling graduates of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary earn a median of $54,863 early in their careers. More information about a degree in clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

2

Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

27 Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Degrees Awarded

$41,047 Median Starting Salary

A rank of #2 makes Regent University one of the top schools for clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling. Set in the city of Virginia Beach, Regent University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 27 clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling degrees were awarded at Regent University in the most recent year. Students who receive their clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling degree from Regent University earn around $41,047 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $29,451. More information about a degree in clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling from Regent University

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 8 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.