What you’ll learn in this article…
- Online bachelor's degrees in Christian psychology typically require 120 credits.
- Every state requires graduate training, a licensing exam, and supervised clinical hours.
- Ministry certificates affirm calling but cannot substitute for a state counseling license.
Every state requires a master's degree, supervised clinical hours, and a passing exam score before someone can meet counseling licensure requirements to practice as a licensed professional counselor. A Christian psychology degree meets those requirements only when the school holds the right accreditation and the curriculum matches your state board's coursework rules. That is the tension: faith-integrated training is easy to find online, but not all of it leads to a license.
The ranked list covers 12 schools offering online or hybrid Christian psychology and christian counseling programs. Degree level decides what each one can do for you. A bachelor's builds the foundation, while clinical practice starts at the graduate level.
Best Online Christian Psychology Degree Programs for 2027
The programs below are faith-based psychology and counseling options that can be completed largely or entirely online, ordered by a mixed quality composite that gives a boost to online delivery. Each card shows the degree level, any concentration, the delivery format, published tuition, an approximate average net price after aid, and the school's overall graduation rate. A full explanation of the composite appears in the methodology section below.
Factors considered
- Pell enrollment share
- Tuition adjusted for local cost of living
- Online delivery availability
- Retention and student-faculty ratio
- Program-level records review
- Federal College Scorecard outcomes data — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Program-level records maintained in house
- Original research on individual programs
- National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) covering graduation rates, retention rates and student-faculty ratios — nces.ed.gov
- Bureau of Economic Analysis cost-of-living index by state — bea.gov
University of the Cumberlands
University of the Cumberlands is a private Christian university in Williamsburg, Kentucky, and its online associate pathway in psychology is built for students who want a practical, affordable entry into the helping professions. The 18-credit psychology major covers counseling, research design, child and adolescent development, and social psychology, while the wider curriculum includes Christian-faith coursework in areas such as Old and New Testament studies and Christian ethics. Online tuition is charged as a flat rate that also applies to out-of-state students, and the degree is structured to continue directly into the university's bachelor's program.
- $9,875 total program tuition
- $220 per credit hour
- Complete the degree in as little as one year
- 60 total credit hours
- 18-credit psychology major sequence
- 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio
- Entirely online format
- Prepares graduates for entry-level human services roles
Associate of Science with a Major in Psychology — Online
Liberty University
Liberty University is a Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, with one of the largest online divisions in the country, and its associate psychology pathway is taught from an explicitly Christian worldview. The psychology degree is fully online with 8-week asynchronous terms, and a parallel Christian Counseling track adds biblically based counseling practices for students heading toward advocacy and case management work. Faculty include licensed clinical psychologists and counselors, up to 75 percent of the degree can transfer in, and all 60 credits feed directly into Liberty's bachelor's program.
- $410 per credit hour
- 60 total credit hours
- 100% online with 8-week asynchronous courses
- 8 start dates per year
- Transfer in up to 75% of the degree
- No entrance exam and no standardized testing
- Electronic textbooks provided at no cost
- Faculty include licensed clinical psychologists and counselors
- Adds a Christian counseling concentration to the psychology major
- Biblically based counseling practices built into coursework
- Prepares students for advocacy, case management and community relations roles
- 2.0 GPA minimum for admission
- Military benefits accepted alongside financial aid and scholarships
Associate of Arts in Psychology — Online
Associate of Arts in Psychology: Christian Counseling — Online
Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies
Drury University's College of Continuing Professional Studies in Springfield, Missouri, runs an online associate degree designed around adult learners who need to keep working while they study. The two-year graduation plan includes 21 credit hours of psychology coursework covering social psychology, human development, stress management, and research methods, with general education filling out the rest of the degree. Coursework leans on real-world application such as group dynamics and mental health treatment, and graduates move into counseling, social work, education, and case management roles or continue into a bachelor's program.
- Two-year graduation plan
- 21 credit hours of psychology coursework
- Courses in social psychology, human development and stress management
- Research methods coursework included
- Online delivery for working adults
- Covers real-world applications such as group dynamics
- Prepares graduates for counseling, social work and education roles
Associate of Science in Psychology — Online
Drury University
Drury University's main campus in Springfield, Missouri, offers an associate psychology degree through an accelerated format built for working adults. Students take core coursework in principles of psychology, stress management, human development, social psychology, and research methods, and the program blends theory with applied practice. The degree serves as an entry point for roles in counseling, social work, case management, and community services, while the school notes that many psychology careers call for study beyond the associate level.
- Two-year program designed for working adults
- 21 psychology credit hours
- Accelerated path for adult learners
- Coursework in principles of psychology and human development
- Online delivery
- Program notes 14% projected national job growth in psychology
Associate of Science in Psychology — Online
Brescia University
Brescia University in Owensboro, Kentucky, offers an online associate degree in psychology aimed at adult students who want a flexible, affordable start in the field. The curriculum builds a foundation in the history, principles, and methods of psychology inside a strong liberal arts tradition, and graduates can continue into Brescia's bachelor's degree in psychology or its master's in clinical psychology. The program can be completed fully online, financial aid is available, and Brescia holds regional accreditation through SACS.
- Complete in as little as two years
- Fully online option available
- Designed for adult students returning to college
- Foundation in psychology history, principles and methods
- Continues into Brescia's bachelor's degree in psychology
- Pathway to the master's in clinical psychology
- Strong liberal arts tradition
- Accredited by SACS
Associate of Science in Psychology — Online
Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri, delivers its associate psychology degree at the Fayette campus and through online and statewide locations, which gives working adults real flexibility. The curriculum includes experimental and abnormal psychology, counseling, and social psychology, along with hands-on projects, practicum experience, and internships. It is designed to prepare students for human services, mental health, criminal justice, and education work, and it also serves as a foundation for graduate study in psychology, counseling, or ministry.
- Courses in experimental and abnormal psychology
- Classes in counseling and social psychology
- Practicum and internship opportunities
- Hands-on projects and research presentations
- Offered at the Fayette campus and online statewide
- Prepares students for human services careers
- Foundation for graduate study in psychology or ministry
Associate of Arts in Psychology — Online
Central Christian College of Kansas
Central Christian College of Kansas in McPherson runs a faith-driven online psychology track with an unusually flexible structure: six-week courses, one class at a time, and up to 90 transfer credits accepted. Students can finish in as little as a year, and six concentration options let them shape the degree toward counseling, social services, or human behavior studies. Faith and character development run through the coursework, every student gets a personal advisor, and the college is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- 100% online six-week courses, one class at a time
- Finish in as little as one year
- Transfer up to 90 credits
- Six concentration options
- Asynchronous online classes
- Faith-driven education with character development
- Personalized advisor support from application to graduation
- Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
Associate of Arts with a Psychology Track — Online
University of Northwestern-St Paul
University of Northwestern - St Paul is a Christian university in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and its associate psychology degree is delivered online through the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences. The 32-month, 60-credit program pairs a 16-credit psychology specialization with Biblical Thinking and Living coursework, covering Introduction to Psychology, Lifespan Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Principles of Counseling. Credits transfer cleanly into a bachelor's program, and the school is known for personalized faculty mentorship.
- $480 per credit hour
- 32-month program
- 60 total credit hours
- 16-credit psychology specialization
- Includes Biblical Thinking and Living coursework
- Courses include Abnormal Psychology and Principles of Counseling
- Credits transfer into a bachelor's degree
- Available online
Associate of Arts in Psychology — Online
South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary
South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary in Deerfield Beach is a small, multi-denominational institution where every class is taught from a biblical worldview. Its associate psychology degree spans 60 credits and covers personality theories, abnormal and developmental psychology, and counseling skills, rounded out by general studies in English, math, science, and the humanities. Classes follow a traditional 16-week format on campus or fully online, small class sizes keep personal interaction high, and an admission interview is part of the application process.
- 60 total credit hours
- Fully online option available
- Traditional 16-week class format
- Small classes with personal interaction
- Biblical worldview in every class
- Multi-denominational classroom environment
- Prepares students for advanced undergraduate study
- Admission interview required
Associate of Arts in Psychology — Online
Point University
Point University in West Point, Georgia, offers a fully online associate degree in psychology that combines liberal arts breadth with foundational coursework in psychology and sociology. A required internship gives students practical experience, and the curriculum is taught with a biblical worldview emphasis throughout. Graduates move toward roles such as counselor, case manager, human resources administrator, social worker, or marriage and family therapist, and the university runs mentoring programs with faculty and alumni.
- Broad grounding in the liberal arts
- Foundational coursework in psychology and sociology
- Required practical internship
- Past internship placements at Kaiser Permanente
- Biblical worldview emphasis
- Fully online degree option
- Mentoring programs with faculty and alumni
- Prepares graduates for counselor and case manager roles
Associate of Arts in Psychology — Online
How We Ranked These Christian Psychology Schools
A ranking is only as useful as its stated limits, so here is what went into this one and what did not.
Who Made the List
Only programs offered fully online or in a hybrid format were eligible. Delivery format also carries extra weight in the score, because a program you can't realistically attend does you no good, however strong its reputation.
What Went Into the Quality Score
Beyond format, each school received a quality composite built from three inputs:
- Net price: what students pay after grant aid, not the sticker tuition.
- Graduation and retention: institution-wide rates showing how many students finish and how many return after the first year.
- Earnings and debt: College Scorecard program-level figures, used where they are published.
What the Numbers Can't Tell You
Three limits are worth knowing before you lean on any score:
- Graduation rates and net price describe the whole institution, not the psychology program alone.
- Some programs have no published earnings yet, so those schools were scored on the remaining inputs.
- Specialized accreditation, such as cacrep accredited online counseling programs or coamfte accredited online mft programs, was not a ranking input. Check it directly with the accrediting body, especially if your goal is licensure as a professional counselor or a marriage and family therapist.
Single-university marketing pages rarely show you any of this. They highlight strengths and skip the gaps. Naming them lets you compare schools on equal terms and gives you questions to ask before enrolling in a counseling program.
Christian Psychology vs. Christian Counseling vs. Biblical Counseling
As online Christian programs multiply, the practical dividing line among these three tracks has shifted from theology alone to whether the degree can lead to state licensure.
Where the paths diverge
- Christian psychology uses psychological science as the primary framework and interprets it through a Christian worldview. It treats psychology and theology as complementary, not competing. Programs appear at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, but state licensure as a psychologist requires a doctoral degree, internship, and exam. A bachelor's or master's in Christian psychology alone does not authorize independent clinical practice.
- Christian counseling is the licensure-bearing clinical route. It integrates faith with evidence-based methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Most licensure-focused christian counseling programs align with the secular clinical mental health counseling or counseling psychology curriculum, not with a seminary-only biblical counseling track, so graduates can meet state counseling board requirements for LPC or LMHC licensure.
- Biblical counseling operates from a Scripture-sufficiency model. It centers soul care in Scripture and discipleship rather than clinical diagnosis or secular therapy. Programs usually sit in seminaries and ministry schools and generally do not include the mandated clinical coursework, supervised hours, or accreditation that state counseling boards require.
Licensure and work settings
The practical outcome is that Christian counseling careers open the widest range of licensed clinical settings: private practice, community mental health, church counseling centers, hospitals, and schools. Christian psychology can feed into teaching, research, ministry, human services, or further doctoral study. A biblical counseling degree typically leads to church, parachurch, and lay ministry roles rather than licensed clinical practice.
What the wage picture does and does not show
Federal data do not track Christian psychologists or biblical counselors as separate occupations, so salary comparisons are estimates. Reported 2026 ranges for Christian counseling roles land roughly between $47,000 and $72,500, with higher figures tied to licensure and private practice rather than faith orientation itself. Biblical counseling roles in church or ministry settings often pay less, commonly in the mid-$30,000s to low $50,000s, though organization-level exceptions exist.
Choose Christian psychology for a broad foundation, Christian clinical mental health counseling for licensure, and biblical counseling for church and ministry roles.
Online Bachelor's in Christian Psychology: What to Expect
A typical online bachelor's in Christian psychology runs 120 credits, the same length as any accredited four-year degree. What sets it apart is the biblical integration layered on top of a standard online psychology degree curriculum, and that layer usually adds 15 to 30 credits of required Bible and theology coursework.
How the 120 Credits Break Down
Most programs divide the work into three buckets:
- General education: English composition, history, communication, and math requirements shared across all majors.
- Psychology core: developmental psychology, abnormal psychology, research methods, and statistics, plus electives in areas like cognition or social psychology.
- Bible and theology: Old and New Testament surveys, systematic theology, Christian worldview, and courses that explicitly connect faith with the study of human behavior.
That faith component is why these degrees often require more credits in a given semester than a secular equivalent, so plan accordingly.
Format and Timeline
Christian online schools commonly deliver coursework in asynchronous 8-week terms. You log in on your own schedule, submit discussion posts and assignments by weekly deadlines, and stack two accelerated terms into a traditional semester. A full-time load still points toward roughly four years, but transfer credits for psychology degree, AP or CLEP exams, and prior college coursework can shorten that meaningfully. Adult learners returning with an unfinished degree sometimes finish in two to three years.
What the Degree Does and Does Not Do
A bachelor's alone does not qualify anyone to practice counseling independently. No state license is available at this level. The degree is a launchpad, either into entry-level human services roles (case management, ministry support, residential care) or into a graduate counseling or psychology program.
If graduate school is your goal, scrutinize the research methods and statistics courses before you enroll. Many master's programs in counseling or psychology, including an online master's in mental health counseling, list these as admissions prerequisites, and a watered-down version may not transfer or satisfy the requirement. Choose a program whose quantitative coursework holds up to that scrutiny.
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How Do You Get From Christian Psychology Student to Licensed Counselor?
A Christian psychology degree is a starting point, not a license. State boards license counselors, and every state requires graduate training, a passing exam score, and supervised clinical experience before you can practice independently. Here is the typical sequence, with the understanding that exact hour and credit requirements vary by state.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Do you want to diagnose and treat clients under a state license, or serve mainly in church and ministry settings?
Does your state board require a CACREP- or COAMFTE-accredited degree for the license you're targeting?
Are you comfortable with an integration model that blends psychology and theology, or do you prefer a Scripture-sufficiency approach?
Can you travel for on-campus intensives and secure a local practicum site?
A Christian counseling certificate can affirm your calling, but only a state license lets you diagnose, treat, and bill for clinical care. The two are not interchangeable, and no amount of ministry training substitutes for the accredited degree your licensing board requires.
Best Master's in Counseling by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
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- Washington DC
- West Virginia
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