Missionary Studies Degree

8 schools compared · Average earnings $29,031/yr

Students study the theology, history, and practice of religious mission work, including cross-cultural communication, community development, and global outreach strategies. Graduates typically pursue careers in international missionary organizations, humanitarian aid agencies, church planting, community development nonprofits, and intercultural training. This major prepares students for service-oriented careers that combine faith with cross-cultural skills.

What Missionary Studies Graduates Do

Your degree prepares you for roles centered on faith-based outreach and education, often in administrative leadership. The most common path is becoming a director of religious activities. In this role, your days are spent less on direct missionary work and more on managing the operations behind it: you’ll coordinate community programs, recruit and train volunteers, oversee budgets, and develop educational curricula for a church or non-profit. Other graduates find hands-on roles as religious workers, focusing on youth ministry or campus outreach. A smaller number pursue an academic track as postsecondary teachers, researching and teaching missiology at the college level.

Careers often begin in a hands-on support or outreach position before progressing to a director role with more strategic responsibility. The director path offers the most job openings and the steadiest growth. Artificial intelligence is set to change the day-to-day of these careers, automating significant administrative work like scheduling, drafting reports, and analyzing outreach data. This won't replace the core mission, but it will shift your focus toward interpersonal relationships and strategic leadership—the human elements technology can't replicate. Adaptability will be key.

Schools Offering
8
Avg Grad Earnings
$29,031/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
22/100
AI Automation Risk
High
42% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Missionary Studies graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 26,900 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary
$78,050
$61K$102K
2,000 +0.7% 51%
Directors, religious activities and education
$54,840
$42K$75K
13,800 +2.1% 44%
Religious workers, all other
$45,120
$35K$60K
11,100 +0.6% 0%
Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary
$78,050
$61K $102K
2,000 openings/yr +0.7% growth 51% AI risk
Directors, religious activities and education
$54,840
$42K $75K
13,800 openings/yr +2.1% growth 44% AI risk
Religious workers, all other
$45,120
$35K $60K
11,100 openings/yr +0.6% growth 0% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Which school is best for Missionary Studies? See our complete ranking of 8 programs →

Best Schools for Missionary Studies

8 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Kansas City, MO
37
39–38
$39,368/yr 9.5x
2 North Greenville University
Tigerville, SC
24
29–25
$32,569/yr 2.3x
3 Southeastern University
Lakeland, FL
23
28–24
$33,096/yr 1.6x
4 Johnson University Florida
Kissimmee, FL
21
26–21
$28,103/yr 2.6x
5 Johnson University
Knoxville, TN
20
25–21
$28,103/yr 2.5x
6 Ozark Christian College
Joplin, MO
18
20–18
$21,498/yr 2.5x
7 Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, IL
17
21–17
$26,236/yr 4.3x
8 Bethany Global University
Bloomington, MN
17
20–18
$23,272/yr 1.8x

Highest Earning Missionary Studies Programs

Schools where Missionary Studies graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings DW Score
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary $39,368/yr 37
Southeastern University $33,096/yr 23
North Greenville University $32,569/yr 24
Johnson University Florida $28,103/yr 21
Johnson University $28,103/yr 20
Moody Bible Institute $26,236/yr 17
Bethany Global University $23,272/yr 17
Ozark Christian College $21,498/yr 18

Best ROI for Missionary Studies

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Missionary Studies.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary 9.5x $39,368/yr 37
Moody Bible Institute 4.3x $26,236/yr 17
Johnson University Florida 2.6x $28,103/yr 21
Johnson University 2.5x $28,103/yr 20
Ozark Christian College 2.5x $21,498/yr 18
North Greenville University 2.3x $32,569/yr 24
Bethany Global University 1.8x $23,272/yr 17
Southeastern University 1.6x $33,096/yr 23
Want to compare two Missionary Studies programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Missionary Studies offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Missionary Studies graduates make in their first year?
First-year earnings for Missionary Studies graduates average $29,031 annually, based on data from 8 programs. The range spans $21,498 at the low end to $39,368 at the top.
How exposed is Missionary Studies to AI disruption?
Missionary Studies is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with 42% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means some career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
What's the top-ranked school for Missionary Studies?
Our data ranks Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary first among 8 Missionary Studies programs. Its score of 37/100 reflects strong outcomes across earnings ($39,368/yr), return on investment, and career durability.
What's the ROI on a Missionary Studies degree?
On average, Missionary Studies graduates earn 3.4x their in-state tuition over 10 years. ROI varies significantly by school — choose carefully.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →