Bible/Biblical Studies at Mid-Atlantic Christian University

The first-year earnings figure of $11,491 is startlingly low—below minimum wage for full-time work—though the dramatic jump to $36,506 by year four suggests graduates may be completing internships, additional training, or entering ministry positions that start slowly. Still, this program ranks in just the 10th percentile among North Carolina's biblical studies programs, meaning 90% of comparable in-state options produce better outcomes. For context, Carolina University's similar program yields earnings nearly four times higher in that first year.

The $23,422 in debt matches North Carolina's median for this field, but paired with those early earnings, graduates face a debt burden more than twice their first-year income. Even after the earnings rebound, this program significantly underperforms the $33,918 national median for biblical studies graduates. With fewer than 30 graduates in this data set, these numbers may not be fully representative, but the pattern is concerning enough to warrant serious consideration of alternatives within North Carolina's nine biblical studies programs.

If your child is committed to ministry or theological studies, ask hard questions about the school's placement rates, whether most graduates pursue additional degrees (which would explain the initial earnings dip), and what support exists during those difficult first years. The 47% Pell grant rate shows this serves many low-income students who can least afford a slow financial start.