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Best Schools for Youth Ministry in the United States
See the highest-ranked youth ministry schools offering a master’s degree below.
Top Schools in Youth Ministry
Leading the list is Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, our #1 school for youth ministry. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Austin. There were roughly 12 youth ministry students who graduated with this degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in the most recent data year. Youth Ministry graduates of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary earn a median of $56,922 early in their careers.
Read more about the youth ministry program at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Other Youth Ministry Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare Youth Ministry rankings across degree levels:
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 97 schools evaluated.
- 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.
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