Best Theology & Ministry Schools Near Birmingham, AL (2026)

Birmingham, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs, with tuition ranging from $7,590 to $37,626 per year for indexed programs. Birmingham has a population of about 196,357. In Alabama, the top-earning theology-related role is Director of Religious Activities and Education at a median $79,310 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Theology Schools to Birmingham

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer theology programs near Birmingham, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Birmingham city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Birmingham. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Samford University

Birmingham, AL 4.4 miles from Birmingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,469
Avg net price $32,622/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama theology page.


Theology Wages Near Birmingham

Birmingham is part of the Birmingham, AL metro area (BLS area code 13820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clergy$52,190Birmingham, AL$56,976
Director of Religious Activities and Education$79,310AL statewide$86,583
Religious Worker, All OtherN/AAL statewide
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary$73,050Birmingham, AL$79,749

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Birmingham at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Birmingham-Area Cities With Theology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited theology schools are near Birmingham, AL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Birmingham. The closest is Samford University in Birmingham, AL (4.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Amridge University (88.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying theology roles near Birmingham?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles near Birmingham are: Director of Religious Activities and Education ($79,310), Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary ($73,050), Clergy ($52,190). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Mountain Brook instead of Birmingham?

Mountain Brook, AL is 4.3 miles from Birmingham and has its own set of local theology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Theology Programs

Other Programs Available in Birmingham

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Birmingham:

Data verified: September 1, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.