by our College Data Analytics Team
[Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/pastoral-counseling-specialized-ministries/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong pastoral counseling & specialized ministries education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools to find the best return on investment for pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is Valor Christian College, our #1 best value for pastoral counseling & specialized ministries in Ohio. Set in the city of Canal Winchester, Valor Christian College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $10,612 in tuition and fees. Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries graduates carry a median of $17,635 in student loans. Early-career pastoral counseling & specialized ministries graduates make about $29,571.
This list is compiled 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 · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.