2026 Best Value Pastoral Studies/Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region
[Pastoral Studies/Counseling](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/pastoral-counseling-specialized-ministries/pastoral-studies-counseling/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong pastoral studies/counseling education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 33 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value pastoral studies/counseling schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Pastoral Studies/Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the pastoral studies/counseling degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Pastoral Studies/Counseling Schools
For return on investment in pastoral studies/counseling, no school beat Luther Rice University And Seminary this year. Located in the suburb of Lithonia, Luther Rice University And Seminary is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $11,320 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $36,730 to complete the pastoral studies/counseling program here. Pastoral Studies/counseling graduates of Luther Rice University And Seminary earn a median of $38,760 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Luther Rice University And Seminary admits about 92% of applicants.
Lee University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in pastoral studies/counseling, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,790. Pastoral Studies/counseling graduates carry a median of $28,750 in student loans. Pastoral Studies/counseling graduates of Lee University earn a median of $35,189 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Lee University admits about 70% of applicants.
Liberty University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in pastoral studies/counseling, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,173. Pastoral Studies/counseling graduates carry a median of $23,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, pastoral studies/counseling degree recipients from Liberty University generally make around $34,083. Set against $23,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 99%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Southeastern University earned it the #4 place for pastoral studies/counseling. Southeastern University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lakeland. Students from in state pay about $32,950 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the pastoral studies/counseling program here. Early-career pastoral studies/counseling graduates make about $35,209. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 53% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 33 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
