2026 Best Value Lay Ministry Schools in Minnesota
[Lay Ministry](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/pastoral-counseling-specialized-ministries/lay-ministry/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong lay ministry education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for lay ministry students.
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2026 Best Value Lay Ministry Schools in Minnesota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in lay ministry, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Lay Ministry Schools
North Central University tops our 2026 list of the best value lay ministry schools in Minnesota. North Central University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis. Students from in state pay about $32,220 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for lay ministry graduates is $26,750. Soon after graduation, lay ministry degree recipients from North Central University generally make around $27,370. That is a strong return on a $26,750 median debt. North Central University admits about 99% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in lay ministry will find it at Bethel University Minnesota, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Saint Paul, Bethel University Minnesota is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $44,226. Lay Ministry graduates carry a median of $25,639 in student loans. Lay Ministry graduates of Bethel University Minnesota earn a median of $45,641 early in their careers. Set against $25,639 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of St Thomas Minnesota earned it the #3 place for lay ministry. Located in the city of Saint Paul, University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $54,398 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,923 to complete the lay ministry program here. Lay Ministry graduates of University Of St Thomas Minnesota earn a median of $65,183 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
More Lay Ministry Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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.
