A clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling degree prepares graduates for careers in Marriage and family therapists, Clergy, Directors, religious activities and education and more. 18 colleges and universities offer this program.
Nationally, bachelor’s graduates in this field earn a median $52,119 four years after graduating (middle half: $38,401–$68,626). Where you study it matters: across 50 colleges with reported results, pay ranges from $32,514 to $76,395.
Sort by:
| # | College | 4 yrs after | Wage-adjusted | 1 yr after | Median debt | Outcome Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | $76,395 | $77,694 | $58,269 | $12,634 | A+ |
| 2 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA | $67,033 | $61,040 | $33,971 | $20,500 | B+ |
| 3 | Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX | $66,865 | $67,982 | $34,671 | $17,731 | A |
| 4 | Worcester State University Worcester, MA | $63,505 | $55,923 | $37,345 | $21,000 | C |
| 5 | Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT | $63,218 | $56,916 | $36,070 | $27,239 | C |
| 6 | Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN | $60,780 | $58,058 | $56,516 | $21,335 | C+ |
| 7 | Davenport University Grand Rapids, MI | $58,907 | $62,111 | $41,225 | $25,000 | D |
| 13 | Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH | $57,998 | $61,893 | $40,516 | $26,000 | B |
| 12 | Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH | $57,998 | $61,893 | $40,516 | $26,000 | C+ |
| 11 | Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH | $57,998 | $61,893 | $40,516 | $26,000 | C |
| 10 | Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH | $57,998 | $61,893 | $40,516 | $26,000 | B |
| 9 | Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH | $57,998 | $61,893 | $40,516 | $26,000 | B |
| 8 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH | $57,998 | $61,893 | $40,516 | $26,000 | C |
| 14 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH | $57,701 | $53,148 | $43,886 | $21,584 | C |
| 15 | Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN | $57,266 | $54,701 | $46,691 | $25,736 | C |
| 16 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KS | $57,252 | $59,437 | $42,480 | $22,784 | B+ |
| 17 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL | $55,586 | $54,613 | $41,139 | $27,787 | C+ |
| 18 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | $54,395 | $55,320 | $41,891 | $21,875 | A+ |
| 19 | Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI | $53,353 | $56,255 | $40,333 | $28,125 | C+ |
| 20 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH | $52,735 | $56,276 | $46,270 | $35,000 | B |
| 21 | New Mexico Highlands University Las Vegas, NM | $52,517 | $60,806 | $34,750 | $13,000 | D |
| 22 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ | $52,243 | $53,681 | $37,992 | $21,750 | B |
| 23 | University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD | $52,211 | $56,200 | $41,191 | $25,850 | C+ |
| 24 | William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ | $51,502 | $45,203 | $39,228 | $25,000 | D |
| 25 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ | $51,490 | $52,907 | $37,693 | $31,432 | C |
| 26 | Rhode Island College Providence, RI | $51,379 | $50,603 | $37,320 | $26,463 | C |
| 27 | Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN | $51,288 | $55,023 | $37,268 | $25,000 | D |
| 28 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA | $51,047 | $46,449 | $27,228 | $14,833 | C+ |
| 29 | Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus Portales, NM | $50,598 | $58,585 | $40,645 | $18,191 | F |
| 30 | University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK | $49,660 | $47,558 | — | — | D |
| 31 | Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL | $49,618 | $56,321 | $38,439 | $25,000 | B |
| 32 | University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR | $49,129 | $57,894 | $32,618 | $25,000 | C |
| 33 | Ashford University San Diego, CA | $48,922 | $44,516 | $39,676 | $33,129 | F |
| 34 | Alvernia University Reading, PA | $48,809 | $49,639 | $41,115 | $32,167 | C+ |
| 35 | University of Maine at Augusta Augusta, ME | $48,604 | $51,653 | $39,109 | $27,704 | F |
| 36 | Washburn University Topeka, KS | $48,327 | $50,171 | $41,632 | $30,974 | C |
| 37 | Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA | $47,604 | $43,348 | $37,645 | $25,000 | D |
| 39 | Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global Marion, IN | $45,729 | $49,059 | $40,426 | $25,370 | C+ |
| 38 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion Marion, IN | $45,729 | $49,059 | $40,426 | $25,370 | B+ |
| 40 | University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY | $45,061 | $51,023 | $21,137 | $16,216 | D |
| 41 | Pennsylvania Western University California, PA | $42,837 | $43,566 | $34,541 | — | D |
| 42 | University of Maine at Farmington Farmington, ME | $42,513 | $45,180 | $27,344 | $27,000 | D |
| 43 | Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN | $42,305 | $45,385 | $33,954 | $34,836 | C+ |
| 44 | Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN | $42,133 | $45,201 | $34,603 | $22,303 | F |
| 45 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, LA | $42,065 | $48,693 | $24,340 | $25,000 | C |
| 46 | Ohio Christian University Circleville, OH | $40,901 | $43,647 | — | — | F |
| 47 | Lackawanna College Scranton, PA | $40,697 | $41,389 | $37,845 | $35,323 | C+ |
| 48 | Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL | $39,894 | $39,196 | — | — | F |
| 49 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM | $39,293 | $45,495 | $25,631 | $24,421 | F |
| 50 | City Vision University Kansas City, MO | $32,514 | $34,862 | — | — | F |
Bachelor’s degrees. Wage-adjusted = pay ÷ √(state wage index). Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data.
Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:
Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling.
| # | College | Location | Degrees Awarded | Repit Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regent University | Virginia Beach, VA | 27 | C+ |
| 2 | Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary | South Hamilton, MA | 47 | C |
Schools ranked by number of graduates. These institutions produce the most clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling graduates annually, including online and distance learning programs.
| # | College | Location | Degrees Awarded | Repit Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary | South Hamilton, MA | 47 | C |
| 2 | Regent University | Virginia Beach, VA | 27 | C+ |
Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling is a degree program offered at 18 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 187 students graduate with this degree.
Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as marriage and family therapists, clergy, directors, religious activities and education, counselors, all other.