by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Women's Ministry covers Women's Ministry. A Program That Prepares Non-Ordained Women To Provide Spiritual, Counseling, And Leadership Services To Other Women In Local Churches, Parachurch Organizations, And Other Settings. Includes Instruction In Foundations Of Women's Ministry, Women's Ministry In The Local Church, Spiritual Formation, Women's Evangelism And Discipleship, Bible Study And Theology, Homiletics, Lay Counseling, Women's Issues, And Leadership Training. Continue reading for the key facts every women's ministry student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering women's ministry programs.
Across the country, women’s ministry is a widely-pursued major, with 75 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Women’s Ministry Schools ranking analyzes these 8 schools to determine the best overall colleges for women’s ministry students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of women’s ministry programs later in this article.
Programs in Women's Ministry emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations women's ministry graduates commonly enter.
Skills emphasized by a women’s ministry program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a women’s ministry major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several women’s ministry degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 19 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 25 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 2 |
People currently working in careers related to women’s ministry tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 53.6% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 21.1% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 14.4% |
| Master’s degree | 9.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.9% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.6% |
| Some college courses | 0.3% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in women’s ministry careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in women’s ministry prepares you for a variety of career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to women’s ministry.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to women’s ministry.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Religious Workers, All Other | 258,483 | -1.4% |
| Directors, Religious Activities and Education | 239,121 | -2.3% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of women’s ministry graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $37,962 |
| 4 years | $41,537 |
| 5 years | $44,763 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for women’s ministry graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers women’s ministry grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Directors, Religious Activities and Education | $64,599 |
| Religious Workers, All Other | $58,956 |
With 8 different women’s ministry programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased women’s ministry school rankings to help you.
Students interested in women’s ministry, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Pastoral Studies/Counseling | 1,323 |
| Lay Ministry | 732 |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Other | 678 |
| Youth Ministry | 327 |
| Urban Ministry | 65 |
| Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies | 30 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
