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Best Schools for Lay Ministry in the United States
See the highest-ranked lay ministry schools offering a associate’s degree below.
Top Schools in Lay Ministry
Leading the list is Calvin College, our #1 school for lay ministry. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Grand Rapids. About 74% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 22 lay ministry students who graduated with this degree at Calvin College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their lay ministry degree from Calvin College earn around $44,220 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $22,707 to complete this degree.
See the full lay ministry program report for Calvin College
Grace Bible College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in lay ministry, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Wyoming, Grace Bible College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Grace Bible College graduates 51% of students within six years. Grace Bible College awarded about 26 lay ministry degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their lay ministry degree from Grace Bible College earn around $33,522 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $21,782.
Read more about the lay ministry program at Grace Bible College
Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in lay ministry, ranking #3. Located in the rural area of Wendell, Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College is a small private not-for-profit university. Roughly 42% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 10 lay ministry students who graduated with this degree at Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College in the most recent data year.
Get the full lay ministry details for Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College
Other Lay Ministry Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare Lay Ministry rankings across degree levels:
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 72 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.
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