Best Theology & Ministry Schools Near Lakewood, WA (2026)

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

Lakewood, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs. Lakewood has a population of about 63,034. Median household income is $70,524 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning theology-related role is Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $85,550 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Theology Schools to Lakewood

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

Tacoma, WA 8.1 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,006
Avg net price $22,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA 15.9 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
44.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,092
Avg net price $28,119/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology

Seattle, WA 32.2 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

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

#4

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, WA 34.6 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,506
Avg net price $24,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education

Kirkland, WA 37.6 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
33.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $35,671/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northwest University

Kirkland, WA 37.7 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
50.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $22,288/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,035
Out‑of‑state$36,035
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Walla Walla University

College Place, WA 211.1 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,885
Avg net price $23,329/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Whitworth University

Spokane, WA 242.3 miles from Lakewood
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,561
Avg net price $26,534/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Theology Wages Near Lakewood

Lakewood is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (BLS area code 42660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clergy$81,750Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$73,582
Director of Religious Activities and Education$56,480Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$50,837
Religious Worker, All Other$62,620Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$56,364
Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary$85,550Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$77,003

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.

Lakewood at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population63,034Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$70,524Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.1 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lakewood-Area Cities With Theology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited theology schools are near Lakewood, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Lakewood. The closest is Faith International University in Tacoma, WA (8.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education (37.6 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying theology roles near Lakewood?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles near Lakewood are: Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary ($85,550), Clergy ($81,750), Religious Worker, All Other ($62,620). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in University Place instead of Lakewood?

University Place, WA is 3.7 miles from Lakewood 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 Lakewood an affordable place to study theology?

Lakewood’s median household income of $70,524 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lakewood while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Lakewood

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

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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