
Conventional four- and six-year undergraduate graduation rates are not a useful way to judge CDSP's graduate programs. Those measures generally track cohorts of first-time, full-time students seeking bachelor's degrees, whereas CDSP is a theological graduate school.
A more relevant comparison would examine completion within a particular CDSP degree, accounting for its expected length and whether students enroll full time, part time, or in a low-residency format. Applicants can ask a program director how many students in a recent entering cohort completed the credential, how long completion took, and whether the figures include students who paused for diocesan or personal reasons. Those definitions matter more than an unrelated undergraduate benchmark.
A dependable CDSP-specific earnings figure cannot be inferred from general college salary comparisons. Earnings vary substantially across clergy positions, nonprofit work, academic careers, and other paths that theological graduates may pursue.
For prospective students, compensation is best evaluated alongside the intended vocation and its requirements. Someone considering ordained ministry can investigate the pay and benefits policies of the dioceses or employers where they hope to serve. Any future earnings statistic should be read with its measurement date, population, and definition of earnings in view; it would describe former students' outcomes, not predict an individual graduate's salary.
MASTER’S Degree
Theology and Religious Vocations
Data last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.