Best Theology & Ministry Schools Near Lemon Grove, CA (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lemon Grove, California has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs. Lemon Grove has a population of about 27,489. Median household income is $79,278 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning theology-related role is Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $103,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Theology Schools to Lemon Grove

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer theology programs near Lemon Grove, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lemon Grove 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 Lemon Grove. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

San Diego Christian College

Santee, CA 8.3 miles from Lemon Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,766
Avg net price $992/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 17%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Southern California Seminary

El Cajon, CA 8.8 miles from Lemon Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
24.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,607
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Franciscan School of Theology

San Diego, CA 9.5 miles from Lemon Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, CA 12.6 miles from Lemon Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,998
Avg net price $38,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Westminster Theological Seminary in California

Escondido, CA 26.8 miles from Lemon Grove
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Concordia University-Irvine

Irvine, CA 77.9 miles from Lemon Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,083
Avg net price $28,115/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Vanguard University of Southern California

Costa Mesa, CA 81.5 miles from Lemon Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,541
Avg net price $21,241/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 85.7 miles from Lemon Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,504
Avg net price $26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Theology Wages Near Lemon Grove

Lemon Grove is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clergy$77,450San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$69,214
Director of Religious Activities and Education$63,450San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$56,702
Religious Worker, All Other$37,530San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$33,539
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary$103,140San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$92,172

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.

Lemon Grove at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population27,489Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$79,278Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lemon Grove-Area Cities With Theology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited theology schools are near Lemon Grove, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Lemon Grove. The closest is San Diego Christian College in Santee, CA (8.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Westminster Theological Seminary in California (26.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying theology roles near Lemon Grove?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles near Lemon Grove are: Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary ($103,140), Clergy ($77,450), Director of Religious Activities and Education ($63,450). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in La Mesa instead of Lemon Grove?

La Mesa, CA is 2.7 miles from Lemon Grove 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.

Is Lemon Grove an affordable place to study theology?

Lemon Grove’s median household income of $79,278 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lemon Grove while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

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 Lemon Grove

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

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 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Theology & Ministry Schools in California (2026)