ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 5 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$171,986 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−135%Estimated return after 10 years
$40,520Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$134,800
$8,000Annual price−$150,800
$16,000Annual price−$166,800
$19,000Current college-wide context−$172,800
$24,000Annual price−$182,800
$32,000Annual price−$198,800
$40,000Annual price−$214,800
Outcomes at a glance
$40,520Typical earnings four years after completion
$35,323Average earnings five years after completion
$24,060Typical federal student debt
25thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
5College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries
How much do Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $40,520 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $24,060. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $35,492 to $42,908 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 6 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
CURRENT VIEW
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $40,520
- Federal debt
- $24,060
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $44,603
- Federal debt
- $26,750
- Programs in the comparison
- 31
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $53,123
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 11
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $84,791
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$35,492National median$40,52075th percentile$42,908
5 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion
$42,908 four years after completionMarion, IN · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtValor Christian College
$17,635 among completer borrowersCanal Winchester, OH · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classGrace Christian University
30 reported awards in 2024–25Wyoming, MI · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$42,908Observed year-4 earnings$18,251
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion$22,866 price · $42,908 earningsIndiana Wesleyan University-National & Global$16,898 price · $42,908 earningsValor Christian College$34,356 price · $40,520 earningsGrace Christian University$12,404 price · $35,492 earningsUniversidad Pentecostal Mizpa$6,440 price · $18,251 earnings
$6,440Annual college-wide average net price$22,866
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
5 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 5 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion$42,9082Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global$42,9083Valor Christian College$40,5204Grace Christian University$35,4925Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa$18,251Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Directors, Religious Activities and Education$52,100 median wage22,160 jobs nationwide+3.3% projected growth through 2035 · 13,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$34,670–$98,310 typical wage rangeReligious Workers, All Other$45,280 median wage15,760 jobs nationwide+1.5% projected growth through 2035 · 12,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$31,200–$93,900 typical wage rangePhilosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary$80,260 median wage20,460 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 1,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$49,140–$139,580 typical wage rangeClergy$60,810 median wage57,200 jobs nationwide+2.4% projected growth through 2035 · 19,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$37,860–$98,890 typical wage rangeCommunity and Social Service Specialists, All Other$56,730 median wage107,730 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 11,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$37,310–$84,210 typical wage rangeCounselors, All Other$50,860 median wage28,580 jobs nationwide+5.9% projected growth through 2035 · 4,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$36,240–$91,940 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.