Best Theology & Ministry Schools Near Sarasota, FL (2026)

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

Sarasota, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs, with tuition ranging from $16,300 to $49,329 per year for indexed programs. Sarasota has a population of about 56,218. Median household income is $70,065 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Florida, the top-earning theology-related role is Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $63,330 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Theology Schools to Sarasota

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

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

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#1

Faith Theological Seminary and Christian College

Tampa, FL 47.0 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Florida College

Temple Terrace, FL 49.1 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
35.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,445
Avg net price $23,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Trinity College of Florida

Trinity, FL 59.7 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
22.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,465
Avg net price $20,297/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,300
Out‑of‑state$16,300
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 22%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:Accreditor: Association for Biblical Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL 61.2 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
32.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 53%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,744
Avg net price $31,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$32,950
Out‑of‑state$32,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Warner University

Lake Wales, FL 66.9 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,086
Avg net price $19,748/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 45%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Saint Leo University

Saint Leo, FL 71.1 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,364
Avg net price $21,293/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Ave Maria University

Ave Maria, FL 97.2 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,520
Avg net price $24,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL 111.6 miles from Sarasota
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,282
Avg net price $30,135/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Theology Wages Near Sarasota

Sarasota is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metro area (BLS area code 35840). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clergy$54,840North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$53,555
Director of Religious Activities and Education$49,020North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$47,871
Religious Worker, All Other$38,490FL statewide$37,588
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary$63,330FL statewide$61,846

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.

Sarasota at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population56,218Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$70,065Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Sarasota-Area Cities With Theology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited theology schools are near Sarasota, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Sarasota. The closest is Faith Theological Seminary and Christian College in Tampa, FL (47.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Warner University (66.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying theology roles near Sarasota?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles near Sarasota are: Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary ($63,330), Clergy ($54,840), Director of Religious Activities and Education ($49,020). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Bradenton instead of Sarasota?

Bradenton, FL is 10.6 miles from Sarasota 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 Sarasota an affordable place to study theology?

Sarasota’s median household income of $70,065 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sarasota while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Sarasota

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

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.

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