Louisiana is the only state where a Southern Baptist seminary and a Roman Catholic theologate sit a few miles apart in the same city, both ATS accredited, both training clergy for the entire Gulf South — and where one of the country's cheapest accredited M.Div. degrees is available to anyone from a cooperating Baptist church.
This guide covers every significant Bible college, seminary, and Christian university with theology and ministry programs in Louisiana — with location, accreditation, degree levels, denominational ties, online availability, and tuition where publicly available.
How this guide is organized
Louisiana's Bible schools sort into four groups:
Southern Baptist institutions — NOBTS and Leavell College in New Orleans, Louisiana Christian University and its Caskey School of Divinity in Pineville.
Roman Catholic seminaries and theology schools — Notre Dame Seminary, St. Joseph Seminary College, Loyola's Institute for Ministry, Xavier's Institute for Black Catholic Studies.
Historically Black institutions with religion programs — Dillard and Xavier in New Orleans.
Unaccredited Pentecostal and Apostolic Bible institutes — numerous statewide, and important to distinguish from the accredited options.
That last group matters more in Louisiana than in most states because Pentecostal and Apostolic bodies here are large and often credential ministers outside the accredited system. Read our accreditation guide before enrolling anywhere that does not appear in a federal accreditation database.
Bible colleges and Christian universities in Louisiana (undergraduate)
Louisiana's accredited undergraduate options are concentrated in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and central Louisiana. The state's religious geography is unusually split — Catholic south, Baptist north — and the schools reflect that line closely.
Leavell College (New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary)
Location
New Orleans (Gentilly), with extension centers across the Gulf South
Accreditation
SACSCOC and ATS (through NOBTS)
Denomination
Southern Baptist Convention
Programs
Associate and bachelor's degrees in Christian Ministry, Biblical Studies, Pastoral Ministry, Worship Ministry, and Christian Counseling, plus certificates. Leavell also operates prison extension programs that have become a national model.
Online
Yes — extensive accredited online delivery
Tuition
Cooperative Program funding makes per-credit tuition for students from cooperating Southern Baptist churches a small fraction of the private-college average; non-SBC rates are higher but still modest.
Why students choose it: Leavell puts an accredited undergraduate Bible degree within reach of nearly anyone in the Gulf South, and its extension model — including the Angola prison seminary program that has reshaped conversations about theological education in corrections — is unique in American higher education.
Ideal for: Southern Baptist ministry students, bivocational pastors, and adults who need a low-cost accredited Bible degree while working.
Bachelor's degrees in Christian Ministry, Biblical Studies, Worship Leadership, and Missions through the Caskey School of Divinity, plus a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry and Master of Divinity.
Online
Yes — online degree completion and select graduate programs
Tuition
Published undergraduate tuition in the low $20,000s before aid; ministerial students receive Caskey scholarships and Louisiana Baptist Convention support, and TOPS applies for eligible residents.
Why students choose it: The Louisiana Baptist Convention's university and the main residential undergraduate pipeline for Baptist ministry in the state. The Caskey School of Divinity's dedicated scholarships for bivocational and small-church ministers are unusually generous and specifically target rural Louisiana congregations.
Ideal for: Louisiana Baptist students wanting a residential Christian university experience, and bivocational ministers eligible for Caskey funding.
Bachelor's degrees in Religious Studies and Philosophy, plus the Loyola Institute for Ministry's Master of Pastoral Studies and Master of Religious Education — nationally enrolled online programs for lay ecclesial ministers.
Online
Yes — the Loyola Institute for Ministry has offered accredited distance graduate programs for decades
Tuition
Undergraduate tuition in the mid-$40,000s before aid with heavy discounting; graduate ministry credits priced per hour, often with diocesan support.
Why students choose it: The Jesuit university of the Gulf South and the leading Catholic lay ministry formation program in the region. Loyola's Institute for Ministry pioneered distance theological education for lay Catholics and enrolls students from dioceses nationwide.
Ideal for: Catholic lay ministers, DREs, and Catholic school leaders seeking an accredited graduate credential without relocating.
Covington (St. Tammany Parish, north shore of Lake Pontchartrain)
Accreditation
SACSCOC
Denomination
Roman Catholic (Benedictine, Saint Joseph Abbey)
Programs
Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Liberal Arts with pre-theology formation for seminarians, plus a Lay Formation and Christian Ministry program for non-seminarian students.
Online
Limited — formation is residential; some lay programs hybrid
Tuition
Seminarian costs generally borne by the sponsoring diocese; lay program tuition modest.
Why students choose it: The Benedictine college seminary for dioceses across the Gulf South, set on a 1,200-acre abbey campus. Men in priestly formation complete philosophy and pre-theology here before moving to Notre Dame Seminary for graduate theology.
Ideal for: Catholic men in early priestly formation, and lay students seeking Benedictine spiritual formation alongside a liberal-arts degree.
Primarily a health sciences university, with theology and ethics coursework and pastoral care pathways that feed clinical chaplaincy in the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System.
Online
Yes — select programs
Tuition
Undergraduate tuition in the low $20,000s before aid.
Why students choose it: Included because it is the main route in Louisiana from a Catholic university into clinical healthcare chaplaincy, through the affiliated hospital system's CPE programs — a path many Louisiana ministry students overlook.
Ideal for: Students combining healthcare and pastoral care, and aspiring hospital chaplains in the Baton Rouge region.
Dillard University and Xavier University of Louisiana
Location
New Orleans
Accreditation
SACSCOC
Denomination
Dillard: United Methodist and United Church of Christ heritage; Xavier: Roman Catholic (historically Black)
Programs
Dillard offers religion and philosophy coursework with pre-seminary advising and has a long history of preparing Black clergy. Xavier is the only historically Black Catholic university in the United States and runs the Institute for Black Catholic Studies, which offers graduate theology coursework each summer.
Online
Limited
Tuition
Both price well below comparable private universities, with substantial need-based aid.
Why students choose it: Xavier's Institute for Black Catholic Studies is the only program of its kind in the world, granting an accredited theology credential grounded in the Black Catholic experience. Dillard's religion program has supplied Black Methodist and UCC clergy across the South for generations.
Ideal for: Black Catholic ministers and educators, and Black Protestant students preparing for seminary in New Orleans.
Seminaries and graduate theology schools in Louisiana
Louisiana has two ATS-accredited seminaries — one Southern Baptist, one Roman Catholic — plus two accredited graduate ministry programs built for students who cannot relocate.
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Location
New Orleans (Gentilly), with extension centers in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida
Accreditation
ATS and SACSCOC
Denomination
Southern Baptist Convention
Programs
Master of Divinity with numerous concentrations, M.A. in Christian Education, M.A. in Theological Studies, Master of Music in Church Music, Doctor of Ministry, Doctor of Educational Ministry, and Ph.D. in Theology and Biblical Studies.
Online
Yes — one of the earliest and most developed accredited online theological programs in the SBC
Tuition
Cooperative Program funding makes NOBTS one of the least expensive ATS-accredited seminaries in the country for students from cooperating Southern Baptist churches.
Why students choose it: NOBTS trains more ministers for the Gulf South than any other institution, and its extension network means a student in rural Mississippi or south Alabama can complete an accredited M.Div. close to home. Its prison seminary program at Angola has been replicated in more than a dozen states.
Ideal for: Southern Baptist ministry candidates anywhere in the Gulf South, working pastors needing low-cost accredited graduate study, and students pursuing a Ph.D. in an SBC seminary.
Master of Divinity for priesthood formation, Master of Arts in Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, and Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.), serving dioceses across the Gulf South.
Online
Limited — formation is residential; some lay coursework hybrid
Tuition
Seminarian costs are borne by sponsoring dioceses; lay graduate programs priced per credit with diocesan support common.
Why students choose it: The principal Catholic theologate for the Gulf South and the graduate destination for men who complete pre-theology at St. Joseph Seminary College. Its lay master's programs are the region's main accredited route into Catholic parish and school leadership.
Ideal for: Catholic seminarians sponsored by a Gulf South diocese, permanent deacon candidates, and lay ecclesial ministers.
Louisiana Christian University — Caskey School of Divinity
Location
Pineville
Accreditation
SACSCOC
Denomination
Louisiana Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist)
Programs
Master of Arts in Christian Ministry and Master of Divinity, delivered with bivocational and rural pastors in mind.
Online
Yes — hybrid and online delivery
Tuition
Caskey scholarships substantially reduce or eliminate tuition for qualifying bivocational Louisiana ministers.
Why students choose it: Caskey exists specifically to serve pastors of small Louisiana churches — congregations too small to pay a full-time salary but large enough to need trained leadership. The funding model targets exactly that gap.
Ideal for: Bivocational and small-church pastors in central and north Louisiana who cannot commute to New Orleans.
Master of Pastoral Studies and Master of Religious Education, with concentrations in pastoral life and administration, religious education, and youth ministry.
Online
Yes — fully online graduate programs
Tuition
Per-credit graduate pricing, frequently subsidized by the student's diocese or parish.
Why students choose it: One of the longest-running accredited distance ministry programs in American Catholicism, designed from the start for adults already serving in parishes. Cohort discussion is central rather than incidental.
Ideal for: Catholic parish staff, DREs, and youth ministers nationwide who need an accredited graduate degree while employed.
Louisiana has a large United Pentecostal, Church of God in Christ, and independent Apostolic presence, and many of these bodies run their own Bible institutes. These provide genuine ministerial formation but are typically unaccredited — credits will not transfer and Title IV aid is unavailable. Verify status before paying tuition.
Assemblies of God students in Louisiana commonly study online through SAGU in Texas or complete district-level ministerial credentialing courses locally.
Wesleyan-holiness students in Louisiana typically look to Mississippi or to online programs, since the state has no in-state Wesleyan seminary.
Louisiana region by region
New Orleans
New Orleans holds NOBTS and Leavell College, Notre Dame Seminary, Loyola, Xavier, and Dillard — five accredited institutions offering theology, across Southern Baptist, Roman Catholic, Jesuit, and historically Black Protestant and Catholic traditions, all within a fifteen-minute drive. No other city in the South offers that range in such a small footprint, and the city's church diversity gives students internship options nothing else in Louisiana matches.
North Shore and Baton Rouge
Covington has St. Joseph Seminary College on the Saint Joseph Abbey grounds. Baton Rouge has Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University and a large campus ministry presence around LSU, plus the state's biggest concentration of hospital chaplaincy opportunity through the Franciscan health system.
Central and north Louisiana
Pineville has Louisiana Christian University and the Caskey School of Divinity, the main option for the Baptist half of the state. Shreveport and Monroe students frequently cross into Mississippi or Texas — Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson and East Texas Baptist are both closer than New Orleans.
Acadiana and the Gulf Coast
Lafayette and the bayou parishes are heavily Catholic, with formation running through the Diocese of Lafayette to St. Joseph Seminary College and Notre Dame Seminary. Lay ministers in these parishes are the core audience for Loyola's online Master of Pastoral Studies.
ATS accreditation. The Association of Theological Schools accredits NOBTS and Notre Dame Seminary. Required in practice for military chaplaincy endorsement and doctoral admission.
ABHE. The Association for Biblical Higher Education accredits Bible-focused institutions nationally and is federally recognized, so Title IV aid flows to member schools.
Fit is unusually clear-cut in Louisiana because the schools are denominationally explicit. NOBTS, Leavell, and Louisiana Christian operate under the Baptist Faith and Message. Notre Dame Seminary, St. Joseph, Loyola, Xavier, and FranU are Roman Catholic. Dillard carries United Methodist and UCC heritage. If you are Pentecostal, Apostolic, or nondenominational, no in-state accredited school matches your tradition exactly — many students in those bodies use NOBTS or an out-of-state online program while credentialing through their denomination separately.
3. Format and life stage
Traditional 18–22 undergraduate: Louisiana Christian, Loyola, Xavier, Dillard.
Working adult finishing a bachelor's: Leavell College online — the cheapest accredited route in the state.
Doctoral work: NOBTS offers the D.Min., D.Ed.Min., and Ph.D. — the only research doctorate in theology at a Louisiana institution.
4. Ministry placement
Ask each school what share of ministry graduates hold paid roles within a year. Southern Baptist placement in Louisiana runs through associational and state convention networks, and NOBTS graduates dominate Gulf South pulpits. Catholic placement is by diocesan assignment, not application. Louisiana's many small rural churches mean bivocational ministry is the norm rather than the exception — plan for it.
5. Career goals
Senior pastor: an accredited bachelor's plus an M.Div. NOBTS is the in-state standard and among the cheapest anywhere.
Catholic priest: diocesan sponsorship, pre-theology at St. Joseph Seminary College, then theology at Notre Dame Seminary.
Military or hospital chaplain: a 72+ hour ATS M.Div. plus ecclesiastical endorsement; see the DoD Armed Forces Chaplains Board. Ochsner and the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System both host accredited CPE, and Fort Johnson (Polk), Barksdale Air Force Base, and Belle Chasse support military chaplaincy exposure.
Prison and corrections ministry: NOBTS's Angola program made Louisiana the national center of this field, and its graduates lead similar programs in other states.
Professor or scholar: NOBTS's Ph.D. is the in-state research doctorate; Catholic students typically go to Notre Dame, Catholic University, or Rome.
Cost, TOPS, and financial aid for Louisiana Bible students
Every accredited school in this guide participates in federal student aid. Start with the FAFSA for Pell Grants and federal loans, and file it early — Louisiana requires the FAFSA for TOPS eligibility and enforces a state deadline. TOPS awards are paid at a fixed amount at eligible private colleges including Louisiana Christian and Loyola, and the Go Grant adds need-based support for Pell-eligible Louisiana residents.
The dominant cost fact in Louisiana is Cooperative Program funding. Because Southern Baptist churches nationwide subsidize NOBTS, a student from a cooperating church pays a small fraction of what the same ATS-accredited M.Div. costs elsewhere. Combined with New Orleans' relatively low housing costs outside the tourist core, it is one of the least expensive paths to a fully accredited seminary degree in the United States.
The second is Caskey. Louisiana Christian's Caskey School of Divinity scholarships specifically target bivocational and small-church ministers, and for qualifying students they cover most or all tuition. Catholic seminarians, meanwhile, generally have formation costs paid by their diocese outright. Our cost guide and scholarship guide walk through the comparison.
Types of degrees at Louisiana Bible schools
Certificate
12–36 credit hours in biblical studies, lay ministry, or pastoral care. Leavell College certificates and Notre Dame Seminary's lay programs are the common entry points.
Associate degree
~60 credit hours of Bible survey, theology, and general education. Leavell College is the main accredited provider, including through prison extension sites.
Bachelor's degree
~120 credit hours. Biblical studies majors focus on Scripture, hermeneutics, and biblical languages; ministry majors add preaching, discipleship, and supervised practicums. Required for seminary admission and most full-time church staff roles.
Master's degree
M.Div. — 72–90 hours; offered at NOBTS, Notre Dame Seminary, and Louisiana Christian's Caskey School. Expected for ordination in most denominations and required for military chaplaincy.
MA degrees — 36–60 hours; specialized in theological studies, Christian education, pastoral studies, religious education, or church music.
Doctorate
D.Min. and D.Ed.Min. — practitioner doctorates for experienced ministers, offered at NOBTS.
Ph.D. — NOBTS offers Louisiana's only research doctorate in theology and biblical studies.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Bible colleges in Louisiana?
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and its undergraduate arm, Leavell College, form the largest Bible and ministry training operation in the state. Louisiana Christian University in Pineville is the Louisiana Baptist Convention's undergraduate university. For Catholic students, Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans and Loyola University New Orleans offer accredited theology programs. Louisiana College's successor programs, Ecclesia College partners, and several Pentecostal institutes round out the picture.
Is New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary accredited?
Yes. NOBTS is accredited by both the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and SACSCOC, and its undergraduate division, Leavell College, is covered under the same institutional accreditation. Degrees from certificate through Ph.D. are available, and the seminary is one of the six seminaries funded by the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program, which keeps tuition dramatically below market for Southern Baptist students.
How much does New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary cost?
Because NOBTS is funded by the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program, tuition for students from cooperating Southern Baptist churches is a fraction of the ATS national average — often in the low hundreds of dollars per credit hour, with non-SBC students paying a higher published rate. It is one of the least expensive accredited M.Div. degrees in the United States for eligible students.
Can I use TOPS at a Christian college in Louisiana?
Yes. The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) is available to qualifying Louisiana high school graduates at eligible in-state institutions, including private colleges such as Louisiana Christian University and Loyola New Orleans, where the award is paid at a set amount rather than full tuition. Students must meet TOPS core curriculum, GPA, and ACT requirements and file the FAFSA by the state deadline.
Does Louisiana have a Catholic seminary?
Yes. Notre Dame Seminary Graduate School of Theology in New Orleans is the ATS-accredited seminary for the Archdiocese of New Orleans and forms priests for dioceses across the Gulf South. St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington provides undergraduate pre-theology formation, and Loyola University New Orleans offers graduate religious studies and pastoral ministry degrees for lay students.
Are there online Bible degrees from Louisiana schools?
Yes. NOBTS offers accredited online undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs and was an early adopter of distance theological education. Louisiana Christian University offers online degree completion, and Loyola New Orleans runs accredited online graduate programs in pastoral studies and religious education that enroll students nationally.
What is the cheapest Bible school in Louisiana?
For Southern Baptist students, NOBTS and Leavell College are the cheapest accredited option by a wide margin because of Cooperative Program funding. Louisiana Christian University's published tuition is in the low $20,000s before aid, well below the national private average, and TOPS plus institutional scholarships reduce it further for Louisiana residents.
How do I become a pastor in Louisiana?
In Southern Baptist churches — the largest Protestant body in the state — ordination is granted by the local congregation, but most churches expect an accredited bachelor's degree plus an M.Div., which NOBTS provides in-state at low cost. Catholic priesthood requires diocesan sponsorship and formation at St. Joseph Seminary College followed by Notre Dame Seminary. Pentecostal and Apostolic bodies, which are strong in Louisiana, generally credential through denominational course of study rather than an accredited degree.
Louisiana schools in our directory
Compare details, formats, and tuition ranges for the Louisiana schools we track.
Tuition figures reflect official school publications and published rates as of mid-2026 and are subject to change. Always confirm current costs, program availability, and accreditation status on each school's official website before applying.
