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Best Schools for Lay Ministry in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall lay ministry education in the Southeast Region.
Top Schools in Lay Ministry
Our analysis ranked Liberty University the best school in the country for a degree in lay ministry. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Lynchburg. The six-year graduation rate is 67%. About 31 lay ministry degrees were awarded at Liberty University in the most recent year. Graduates of the lay ministry program make about $34,083 in their early career. Liberty University graduates carry a median of $23,750 in student loans.
More information about a degree in lay ministry from Liberty University
A rank of #2 makes Regent University one of the top schools for lay ministry. Set in the city of Virginia Beach, Regent University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 58%. There were roughly 29 lay ministry students who graduated with this degree at Regent University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their lay ministry degree from Regent University earn around $33,407 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $35,500.
Read more about the lay ministry program at Regent University
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. The six-year graduation rate is 42%. 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.
Read more about the lay ministry program at Southeastern Free Will Baptist Bible College
Narrow Lay Ministry Schools by State
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 · 16 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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