Peru, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs, with tuition ranging from $31,360 to $43,137 per year for indexed programs. Peru has a population of about 9,863. Median household income is $68,147 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning theology-related role is Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $77,720 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Theology Schools to Peru
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer theology programs near Peru, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Peru 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Peru.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,446
Avg net price
$22,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,756
Avg net price
$26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 93%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
48%
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,313
Avg net price
$18,558/yr
TuitionIn‑state$31,360
Out‑of‑state$31,360
Key stats- Retention rate: 66%
- Programs offered: 39
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,213
Avg net price
$20,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 85
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,700
Avg net price
$19,125/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 45
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,327
Avg net price
$11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 63
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,089
Avg net price
$18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois theology page.
Theology Wages Near Peru
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide) |
|---|
| Clergy | $61,820 |
| Director of Religious Activities and Education | $53,600 |
| Religious Worker, All Other | $47,070 |
| Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary | $77,720 |
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.
Peru at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 9,863 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $68,147 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 21.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Peru-Area Cities With Theology Programs
- Ottawa, IL – 15.7 mi away (20,087 pop)
- Sterling, IL – 42.6 mi away (27,961 pop)
- DeKalb, IL – 44.9 mi away (67,501 pop)
- Oswego, IL – 47.3 mi away (34,571 pop)
- Braidwood, IL – 47.6 mi away (22,563 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited theology schools are near Peru, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Peru. The closest is Benedictine University in Lisle, IL (61.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Olivet Nazarene University (66.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying theology roles in Illinois?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles in Illinois are: Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary ($77,720), Clergy ($61,820), Director of Religious Activities and Education ($53,600). Wages for Peru workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Ottawa instead of Peru?
Ottawa, IL is 15.7 miles from Peru 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 Peru an affordable place to study theology?
Peru’s median household income of $68,147 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Peru 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 Peru
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Peru:
- Creative Writing programs in Peru, IL
- Environmental Science programs in Peru, IL
- Nutrition programs in Peru, IL
- Library Science programs in Peru, IL
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Peru, IL
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Peru, IL
- Medical Assistant programs in Peru, IL
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Peru, IL
- Health Science programs in Peru, IL
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Peru, IL
- Entrepreneurship programs in Peru, IL
- Interior Design programs in Peru, IL
- Photography programs in Peru, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Peru, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Peru, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Peru, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Peru, IL
- Journalism programs in Peru, IL
- Public Relations programs in Peru, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Peru, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Peru, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Peru, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Peru, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Peru, IL
- Business Development programs in Peru, IL
- Construction Management programs in Peru, IL
- Economics programs in Peru, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Peru, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Peru, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Peru, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Peru, IL
- International Business programs in Peru, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Peru, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Peru, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Peru, IL
- Operations Management programs in Peru, IL
- Public Administration programs in Peru, IL
- Real Estate programs in Peru, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Peru, IL
- Retail Management programs in Peru, IL
- Risk Management programs in Peru, IL
- Statistics programs in Peru, IL
- Taxation programs in Peru, IL
- Corrections programs in Peru, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Peru, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Peru, IL
- Criminology programs in Peru, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Peru, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Peru, IL
- Fire Science programs in Peru, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Peru, IL
- Legal Services programs in Peru, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Peru, IL
- Paralegal programs in Peru, IL
- Security Management programs in Peru, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Peru, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Peru, IL
- Innovation programs in Peru, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Peru, IL
- Software Development programs in Peru, IL
- User Experience programs in Peru, IL
- Web Development programs in Peru, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Peru, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Peru, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Peru, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Peru, IL
- Public Health programs in Peru, IL
- Human Resources programs in Peru, IL
- Project Management programs in Peru, IL
- Special Education programs in Peru, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Peru, IL
- Marketing programs in Peru, IL
- Finance programs in Peru, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Peru, IL
- Sports Management programs in Peru, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Peru, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Peru, IL
- Biology programs in Peru, IL
- Communications programs in Peru, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Peru, IL
- Human Services programs in Peru, IL
- MBA programs in Peru, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Peru, IL
- Nursing programs in Peru, IL
- Business Administration programs in Peru, IL
- Computer Science programs in Peru, IL
- Psychology programs in Peru, IL
- Education programs in Peru, IL
- Engineering programs in Peru, IL
- Technology programs in Peru, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Peru, IL
- Healthcare programs in Peru, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Peru, IL
- Accounting programs in Peru, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Peru, IL
- Social Work programs in Peru, IL
- Counseling programs in Peru, IL
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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