MASTER'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a master's degree in Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 11 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$53,123 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$53,123Median year-4 earnings
$25,148Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$53,123Typical earnings four years after completion
$49,791Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
6thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
11College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 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 master's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $53,123 four years after completion across reportable master's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.
Does the college matter for Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $46,406 to $59,226 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.
OPEN PROFILE
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$46,406National median$53,12375th percentile$59,226
11 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.
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.
$60,324Observed year-4 earnings$38,749
Andrews University$12,547 price · $71,857 earningsLoyola University Maryland$30,574 price · $60,324 earningsLoyola University Chicago$36,079 price · $59,226 earningsIndiana Wesleyan University-Marion$22,866 price · $53,123 earningsIndiana Wesleyan University-National & Global$16,898 price · $53,123 earningsDallas Baptist University$28,516 price · $46,406 earningsBethel University$28,556 price · $38,749 earnings
$12,547Annual college-wide average net price$30,574
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
10 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 10 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Andrews University$71,8572Dallas Theological Seminary$62,0643Loyola University Maryland$60,3244Loyola University Chicago$59,2265Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion$53,1236Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global$53,1237Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary$52,4718Christian Theological Seminary$49,9799Dallas Baptist University$46,40610Bethel University$38,749Observed 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.