Pastoral Studies & Counseling

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    Total Degrees​
    Awarded in 2024
    1,323
    declining 4.48%
    Median In-State​
    Public Tuition
    $7,680
    growing 1.99%
    Median Out-of-State​
    Private Tuition
    $25,500
    growing 1.19%
    Average Wage
    $68,677
    growing 2.5%
    People in Workforce
    333,619
    growing 1%
    Average Employee Age
    47.7
    growing 0.066%

    About

    In 2024, the locations with the highest concentration of Pastoral Studies & Counseling degree recipients are Chicago, IL, Lynchburg, VA, and Dallas, TX. In 2024, the locations with a relatively high number of Pastoral Studies & Counseling degree recipients are Trujillo Alto, PR, Gardena, CA, and Southlake, TX. The most common degree awarded to students studying Pastoral Studies & Counseling is a masters degree.

    Institutions

    Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Pastoral Studies & Counseling and the types of students that study this field. Liberty University awards the most degrees in Pastoral Studies & Counseling in the US, but Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa and McCormick Theological Seminary have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Pastoral Studies & Counseling.

    Tuition costs for Pastoral Studies & Counseling majors are, on average, $7,680 for in-state public colleges, and $25,500 for out of state private colleges.

    The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers Pastoral Studies & Counseling programs are Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above institutions (146 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (1,322 completions).

    Institutions

    Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in Pastoral Studies & Counseling (2024)
    1. 102 degrees awarded
    2. 66 degrees awarded
    3. 56 degrees awarded

    The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in Pastoral Studies & Counseling, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (1,322 completions in 2024).

    The following chart shows the share of universities that offer Pastoral Studies & Counseling programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

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    Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

    $7,680
    Median In-State Public
    $25,500
    Median Out of State Private

    Liberty University has the most Pastoral Studies & Counseling degree recipients, with 102 degrees awarded in 2024.

    The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in Pastoral Studies & Counseling.

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    Specialized Colleges

    Out of all institutions that offer Pastoral Studies & Counseling programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Pastoral Studies & Counseling, with 86.2%.

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    Degrees Awarded by County

    Counties with the Most Degrees Awarded in Pastoral Studies & Counseling
    1. 146 degrees awarded
    2. 104 degrees awarded
    3. 102 degrees awarded

    This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest number of degrees awarded in Pastoral Studies & Counseling by year.

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    Employment

    Information on the businesses and industries that employ Theology graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

    The average salary for Theology majors is $68,677 and the most common occupations are Clergy, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

    The industry that employs the most Theology majors is Religious organizations, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Cutlery & hand tool manufacturing.

    Yearly Income for Common Jobs

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.
    $68,677
    Average Wage in Workforce
    ± $2,914
    2.5%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 5.87%

    The average salary for Theology majors is $68,677 and the most common occupations are Clergy, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

    This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Theology majors.

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    Highest Paying Locations

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.

    This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Theology majors.

    Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Theology majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

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    Most Common

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.

    The most common occupations for Theology majors, by number of employees, are Clergy, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

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    Most Specialized

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.

    Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Theology majors working as Clergy, Religious workers, all other, and Directors, religious activities & education.

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    Highest Paid

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.

    The highest paid occupations by median income for Theology majors are Surgeons, Nurse anesthetists, and Magnetic resonance imaging technologists.

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    Occupations by Share

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.
    333,619
    2024 Workforce
    ± 14,166
    1%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 5.96%

    The number of Theology graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 1%, from 330,301 in 2023 to 333,619 in 2024.

    The largest single share of Theology graduates go on to work as Clergy (26%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Theology by share of the total number of graduates.

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    Most Common

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.
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    Highest Paid

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.

    The highest paying industries of Theology majors, by average wage, are Cutlery & hand tool manufacturing, Fishing, hunting & trapping, and Animal food, grain & oilseed milling.

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    Industries by Share

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.
    333,619
    2024 Workforce
    ± 14,166
    1%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 5.96%

    The number of Theology graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 1%, from 330,301 in 2023 to 333,619 in 2024.

    The industry which employs the most Theology graduates by share is Religious organizations, followed by Elementary & secondary schools. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Theology.

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    Specialty Locations

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.

    This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Theology majors.

    Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Theology majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

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    Diversity

    Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Theology in the United States.

    The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Theology is 47.7.

    The most common degree type these workers hold is a Masters Degree. Male employees are more likely to hold Theology degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Theology (672 students).

    Workforce Age

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.
    47.7
    Average Age in 2024
    ± 0.608 Years
    0.066%
    1 Year Change
    ± 1.8%

    This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Theology. The most common ages of employees with this major are 39 and 40 years old, which represent 2.47% and 2.46% of the population, respectively.

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    Degrees Awarded

    The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Pastoral Studies & Counseling are Masters Degree, Bachelors Degree, and Other Doctorate.

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    Workforce Degrees

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.

    The most common degree types held by the working population in Theology are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Doctorate degree.

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    Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

    Male (52.5%)
    Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

    This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in Pastoral Studies & Counseling.

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    Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

    Degrees
    Most Common Race or Ethnicity
    1. White
      672 degrees awarded in 2024
    2. Hispanic or Latino
      242 degrees awarded in 2024
    3. Black or African American
      179 degrees awarded in 2024

    This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Pastoral Studies & Counseling for each race & ethnicity.

    In 2024, White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

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    Race & Ethnicity by Sex

    Degrees
    Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Sex Combination
    1. White Female
      158 degrees awarded
    2. White Male
      136 degrees awarded
    3. Hispanic or Latino Male
      66 degrees awarded

    This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of Masters Degree recipients in Pastoral Studies & Counseling.

    White Female students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and sex.

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    Global Diversity

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Pastoral Studies & Counseling is from the 2 Digit Course Theology.
    Most Common Countries of Origin
    1. Korea
      4,985 degree recipients
    2. Mexico
      4,232 degree recipients
    3. India
      2,283 degree recipients
    High Relative Number of Students
    1. Uganda
      8.53 times more than expected
    2. Eastern Africa, Not Specified
      6.88 times more than expected
    3. Western Africa, not specified
      6.43 times more than expected

    There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Uganda that hold Theology degrees (8.53 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is Korea (4,985 degree recipients).

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    Skills

    Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Pastoral Studies & Counseling field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pastoral Studies & Counseling majors need many skills, but most especially Speaking. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Pastoral Studies & Counseling majors need more than the average amount of Management of Financial Resources, Management of Material Resources, and Social Perceptiveness.

    These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for Pastoral Studies & Counseling majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Management of Financial Resources is very distinctive for majors, but the Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, and Active Listening are the three most important skills for people in the field.

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    Bar Chart

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