Best Theology & Ministry Schools Near Braidwood, IL (2026)

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

Braidwood, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs. Braidwood has a population of about 6,175. Median household income is $83,365 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning theology-related role is Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $78,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Theology Schools to Braidwood

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

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL 19.7 miles from Braidwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,213
Avg net price $20,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, IL 35.7 miles from Braidwood
  • 4 year
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,700
Avg net price $19,125/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 35.7 miles from Braidwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,446
Avg net price $22,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northern Baptist Theological Seminary

Lisle, IL 38.3 miles from Braidwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 42.0 miles from Braidwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,756
Avg net price $26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL 48.2 miles from Braidwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,885
Avg net price $14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Chicago Theological Seminary

Chicago, IL 48.4 miles from Braidwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bexley Hall Seabury Western Theological Seminary Federation, Inc.

Chicago, IL 48.4 miles from Braidwood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

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

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

Theology Wages Near Braidwood

Braidwood is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clergy$61,820Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$59,672
Director of Religious Activities and Education$52,560Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$50,734
Religious Worker, All Other$50,210Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$48,465
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary$78,930Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$76,187

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.

Braidwood at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population6,175Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$83,365Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+18.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Braidwood-Area Cities With Theology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited theology schools are near Braidwood, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Braidwood. The closest is Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL (19.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wheaton College (42.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying theology roles near Braidwood?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles near Braidwood are: Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary ($78,930), Clergy ($61,820), Director of Religious Activities and Education ($52,560). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Joliet instead of Braidwood?

Joliet, IL is 17.7 miles from Braidwood 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 Braidwood an affordable place to study theology?

Braidwood’s median household income of $83,365 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Braidwood while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Braidwood

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

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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