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DOCTORAL DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a doctoral degree in Theological and Ministerial Studies worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 14 college programs with reportable data.

Personal baseline needed

$73,457 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.

$73,457Median year-4 earnings
$21,125Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$73,457Typical earnings four years after completion
$94,589Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
15thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
877Degrees awarded in 2024–25
14College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 12 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Theological and Ministerial Studies

How much do Theological and Ministerial Studies doctoral degree graduates earn?

The national median is $73,457 four years after completion across reportable doctoral 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 Theological and Ministerial Studies?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $61,314 to $83,657 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Theological and Ministerial Studies?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 3 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

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

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$29,038
Federal debt
$18,054
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$45,166
Federal debt
$18,938
Programs in the comparison
3
3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$47,518
Federal debt
$25,838
Programs in the comparison
38
26 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$60,457
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
100
100 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$73,457
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
14
14 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings
$63,549
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
11
11 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$55,739
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$61,314National median$73,45775th percentile$83,657
14 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$83,65775th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
Not availableMedian federal debt across programs that report it
0Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
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

Duke University

$97,542 four years after completionDurham, NC · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Liberty University

412 reported awards in 2024–25Lynchburg, VA · 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.

$95,347Observed year-4 earnings$51,327
$2,835Annual college-wide average net price$29,357
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

14 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 14 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Duke University$97,5422Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary$95,3473Boston University$91,1584Evangel University$85,1235University of Chicago$83,6576Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary$80,5997The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary$77,5078Trinity International University-Illinois$69,4069South University-Savannah$65,16610Regent University$62,308

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

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

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Philosophy 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 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 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.