2026 Best Value Pastoral Studies/Counseling Schools in Minnesota
[Pastoral Studies/Counseling](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/pastoral-counseling-specialized-ministries/pastoral-studies-counseling/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for pastoral studies/counseling students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Pastoral Studies/Counseling Schools in Minnesota
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
Our analysis ranked North Central University the best value for a degree in pastoral studies/counseling in Minnesota. Located in the city of Minneapolis, North Central University is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $32,220 in tuition and fees. Pastoral Studies/counseling graduates carry a median of $26,750 in student loans. Early-career pastoral studies/counseling graduates make about $27,370. Set against $26,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Crown College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value pastoral studies/counseling schools. Set in the rural area of Saint Bonifacius, Crown College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,410. Typical student debt for pastoral studies/counseling graduates is $27,000. Early-career pastoral studies/counseling graduates make about $26,538. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 23%.
Bethel University Minnesota came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value pastoral studies/counseling schools. Bethel University Minnesota is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Paul. Students from in state pay about $44,226 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for pastoral studies/counseling graduates is $25,639. Early-career pastoral studies/counseling graduates make about $45,641. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
