Best Theology & Ministry Schools Near Prior Lake, MN (2026)

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

Prior Lake, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs. Prior Lake has a population of about 27,832. Median household income is $130,278 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.5% 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 Prior Lake

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

Crown College

Saint Bonifacius, MN 18.5 miles from Prior Lake
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,057
Avg net price $26,672/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

St Catherine University

Saint Paul, MN 18.7 miles from Prior Lake
  • 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

#3

North Central University

Minneapolis, MN 19.0 miles from Prior Lake
  • 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

#4

Bethlehem College & Seminary

Minneapolis, MN 19.1 miles from Prior Lake
  • 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

University of St Thomas

Saint Paul, MN 19.5 miles from Prior Lake
  • 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

#6

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities

St. Paul, MN 20.1 miles from Prior Lake
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Concordia University-Saint Paul

Saint Paul, MN 20.9 miles from Prior Lake
  • 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

#8

Luther Seminary

Saint Paul, MN 21.6 miles from Prior Lake
  • 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 Minnesota schools on the Minnesota theology page.

Theology Wages Near Prior Lake

Prior Lake 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.

Prior Lake at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population27,832Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$130,278Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+51.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)104.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Prior Lake-Area Cities With Theology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited theology schools are near Prior Lake, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Prior Lake. The closest is Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN (18.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of St Thomas (19.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying theology roles near Prior Lake?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles near Prior Lake 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 Shakopee instead of Prior Lake?

Shakopee, MN is 3.8 miles from Prior Lake 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 Prior Lake an affordable place to study theology?

Prior Lake’s median household income of $130,278 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Prior Lake 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 Prior Lake

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

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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