2026 Best Value Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
[Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/pastoral-counseling-specialized-ministries/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 24 schools to find the best return on investment for pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students.
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2026 Best Value Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools
For return on investment in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries, no school beat Lancaster Bible College this year. Lancaster Bible College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lancaster. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $29,990. Typical student debt for pastoral counseling & specialized ministries graduates is $22,584. Soon after graduation, pastoral counseling & specialized ministries degree recipients from Lancaster Bible College generally make around $35,286. That is a strong return on a $22,584 median debt. Roughly 56% of applicants are accepted.
Valley Forge Christian College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Phoenixville, Valley Forge Christian College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $25,240. Typical student debt for pastoral counseling & specialized ministries graduates is $27,634. Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries graduates of Valley Forge Christian College earn a median of $34,612 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Valley Forge Christian College admits about 61% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries will find it at Neumann University, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Aston, Neumann University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,100. Students borrow a median of $28,450 to complete the pastoral counseling & specialized ministries program here. Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries graduates of Neumann University earn a median of $56,542 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,450 median debt. Neumann University admits about 81% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 24 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
