---
title: Is a Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology degree worth the debt?
cip: 3903
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **7** colleges (7 of 7 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $22,852 ($20,653 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $14,250 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.62× a first year's pay


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor's | $22,852 | $14,250 | 0.62× | 7 | 7/7 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Southeastern University (FL) | $30,375 | $19,952 |
| Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MO) | $24,868 | $7,733 |
| Moody Bible Institute (IL) | $22,988 | $14,250 |
| Palm Beach Atlantic University (FL) | $22,852 | — |
| Ozark Christian College (MO) | $22,122 | — |
| Mid-Atlantic Christian University (NC) | $20,475 | — |
| Lee University (TN) | $20,106 | — |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/missions-missionary-studies-and-missiology.jsonld` · `/education/fields/missions-missionary-studies-and-missiology.json`