Theological and Ministerial Studies at Mid-America Christian University

Mid-America Christian University's theology program saddles graduates with debt loads that would be concerning in any field, but paired with $27,391 in starting earnings, the math becomes genuinely difficult. At $41,422, typical student debt here exceeds the national median for theology programs by 61% and stands nearly $11,000 above the state median. That's a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.51—meaning graduates owe roughly 1.5 years of their entire salary, before taxes or living expenses.

There's a silver lining in the state context: these graduates actually out-earn the Oklahoma median for theology programs by a slim margin, ranking in the 60th percentile statewide. But that comparison illuminates a broader reality—theology programs across Oklahoma produce modest earnings, with even Oral Roberts University graduates starting near $27,000. The real concern is that Mid-America's debt loads vastly exceed what peers carry, placing this program in just the 5th percentile nationally for debt burden.

For families where ministry is a calling rather than a career choice, the financial sacrifice here is steeper than it needs to be. With 40% of students receiving Pell grants, many families are already stretching financially. Unless your child has significant scholarships lined up or you can substantially reduce borrowing, exploring lower-debt pathways to ministry—whether through other institutions or starting with community college—would put them in a far stronger position to actually serve in typically modest-paying ministry roles.