Best Theology & Ministry Schools Near Santa Rosa, CA (2026)

Santa Rosa, California has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs. Santa Rosa has a population of about 177,216. Median household income is $97,410 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning theology-related role is Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $105,820 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Theology Schools to Santa Rosa

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer theology programs near Santa Rosa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa. 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

Pacific Union College

Angwin, CA 16.7 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,484
Avg net price $41,008/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology

Berkeley, CA 45.8 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Pacific School of Religion

Berkeley, CA 46.1 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Berkeley, CA 46.2 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Graduate Theological Union

Berkeley, CA 46.2 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:Accreditor: Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological SchoolsIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Institute of Buddhist Studies

Berkeley, CA 46.6 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Berkeley School of Theology

Berkeley, CA 47.0 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 48.3 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Theology Wages Near Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa is part of the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area (BLS area code 42220). 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$80,760Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$74,917
Director of Religious Activities and Education$61,570CA statewide$57,115
Religious Worker, All Other$45,440CA statewide$42,152
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary$105,820CA statewide$98,163

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.


Santa Rosa at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population177,216Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$97,410Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)107.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Santa Rosa-Area Cities With Theology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited theology schools are near Santa Rosa, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Santa Rosa. The closest is Pacific Union College in Angwin, CA (16.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Graduate Theological Union (46.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying theology roles near Santa Rosa?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles near Santa Rosa are: Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary ($105,820), Clergy ($80,760), Director of Religious Activities and Education ($61,570). 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 Rohnert Park instead of Santa Rosa?

Rohnert Park, CA is 6.8 miles from Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa an affordable place to study theology?

Santa Rosa’s median household income of $97,410 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa

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

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.