Best Bible/Biblical Studies Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Bible/Biblical Studies Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 12 Bible/Biblical Studies programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Bible/Biblical Studies graduates four years after completing. Maranatha Baptist University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $53,966 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $53,966 to $21,052, with a median of $44,760. For 4 of the 12 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
All 12 schools are 12 private nonprofits. Calvary University posts the lowest average net price on the list, at $16,334. Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary ranks 721st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maranatha Baptist University · Watertown, WI | $53,966 | $26,005 | $24,786 | 71.9% |
| Maranatha Baptist University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $53,966 for its Bible/Biblical Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | University of Northwestern-St Paul · Saint Paul, MN | $51,761 | $27,705 | $26,696 | 93.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Northwestern-St Paul left with a median of $21,325 in federal loans, and the school's Bible/Biblical Studies completers earned a median of $51,761 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 3 | Moody Bible Institute · Chicago, IL | $50,342 | $22,221 | $21,293 | 82.7% |
| Moody Bible Institute posts an average net price of $22,221 and a median of $50,342 for its Bible/Biblical Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Trinity Bible College and Graduate School · Ellendale, ND | $48,009 | $19,359 | $19,123 | 25.8% |
| With an admission rate of 26%, Trinity Bible College and Graduate School admits about a quarter of applicants and reports median earnings of $48,009 for its Bible/Biblical Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Crown College · Saint Bonifacius, MN | $46,800 | $26,672 | $24,270 | 22.8% |
| Crown College ranks 5th on this list, and its Bible/Biblical Studies graduates earned a median of $46,800 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Manhattan Christian College · Manhattan, KS | $45,100 | $24,213 | $23,218 | 100.0% |
| Manhattan Christian College admits 100% of applicants and reports median earnings of $45,100 for its Bible/Biblical Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary · Kansas City, MO | $44,420 | $23,006 | $19,818 | 96.4% |
| Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary holds an Azimuth composite rank of 721st among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Bible/Biblical Studies completers earned a median of $44,420 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 8 | Ozark Christian College · Joplin, MO | $40,548 | $20,580 | $17,900 | 93.6% |
| School-wide median federal debt at Ozark Christian College is $16,772, and the school's Bible/Biblical Studies graduates earned a median of $40,548 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Bethel University · Saint Paul, MN | $26,739 | $28,556 | $22,218 | 87.8% |
| Bethel University reports an average net price of $28,556 and median earnings of $26,739 for its Bible/Biblical Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Wheaton College · Wheaton, IL | $22,192 | $26,975 | $20,001 | 87.4% |
| Wheaton College ranks 10th on this list, with median earnings of $22,192 for its Bible/Biblical Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Calvary University · Kansas City, MO | $21,964 | $16,334 | $16,764 | 71.7% |
| Calvary University posts the lowest average net price on the page at $16,334, and its Bible/Biblical Studies graduates earned a median of $21,964 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Grace College and Theological Seminary · Winona Lake, IN | $21,052 | $19,932 | $10,998 | 82.2% |
| Grace College and Theological Seminary reports an average net price of $19,932 and median earnings of $21,052 for its Bible/Biblical Studies graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Bible/Biblical Studies graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The earnings figures come from federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled. For 4 of the 12 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between Maranatha Baptist University and University of Northwestern-St Paul is $2,205, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $32,914.
Job market context in the Midwest
Graduates of Bible/Biblical Studies programs in the Midwest enter a labor market that links to occupations such as Directors, Religious Activities and Education and Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary. The median annual wage across those occupations is $58,086, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $46,549. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 304 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 3.2% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures that describe the broader field.
Related rankings
- Bible/Biblical Studies Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the Midwest
- Best Bible/Biblical Studies Programs in the South
- Bible/Biblical Studies Programs in the West
- Theology Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
- Theology Colleges in the Midwest