Best Theology & Ministry Schools Near Bloomington, MN (2026)

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

Bloomington, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs. Bloomington has a population of about 88,838. Median household income is $90,677 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, the top-earning theology-related role is Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $80,560 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Theology Schools to Bloomington

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

St Catherine University

Saint Paul, MN 9.2 miles from Bloomington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,282
Avg net price $19,764/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Central University

Minneapolis, MN 9.9 miles from Bloomington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,064
Avg net price $25,817/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of St Thomas

Saint Paul, MN 9.9 miles from Bloomington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,739
Avg net price $29,155/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 109

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Bethlehem College & Seminary

Minneapolis, MN 10.0 miles from Bloomington
  • 4 year
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities

St. Paul, MN 10.6 miles from Bloomington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Concordia University-Saint Paul

Saint Paul, MN 11.4 miles from Bloomington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 79%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,871
Avg net price $18,462/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,600
Out‑of‑state$25,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Luther Seminary

Saint Paul, MN 12.1 miles from Bloomington
  • 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

#8

University of Northwestern-St Paul

Saint Paul, MN 15.8 miles from Bloomington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,755
Avg net price $27,705/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Theology Wages Near Bloomington

Bloomington is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (BLS area code 33460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clergy$64,060Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$61,126
Director of Religious Activities and Education$51,070Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$48,731
Religious Worker, All Other$37,420Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$35,706
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary$80,560Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$76,870

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.

Bloomington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population88,838Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$90,677Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+45.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)104.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Bloomington-Area Cities With Theology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited theology schools are near Bloomington, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Bloomington. The closest is St Catherine University in Saint Paul, MN (9.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (10.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying theology roles near Bloomington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles near Bloomington are: Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary ($80,560), Clergy ($64,060), Director of Religious Activities and Education ($51,070). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Richfield instead of Bloomington?

Richfield, MN is 3.5 miles from Bloomington 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 Bloomington an affordable place to study theology?

Bloomington’s median household income of $90,677 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bloomington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Bloomington

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

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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