Cost of Attendance for MDiv

The following information can help you estimate the standard expenses of being a Meadville Lombard student in the Master of Divinity (MDiv) program. Cost of Attendance is used in calculating financial aid, including grants and loans.

The charts below use the 2024/2025 Tuition and Fees in the calculations.

Student course loads and academic plans vary. The Net Price Calculator is a great resource for estimating tuition and fees based on your specific degree and course plans.

Estimated Yearly Expenses: MDiv

The Master of Divinity program is a 3-year, 90-credit degree program. Of those 90 credits, 6 are non-tuition-based credits usually taken in the first year. The chart below estimates the cost of attendance for the first year, and the second/third years of the MDiv Program.

Estimated 2024/2025 Tuition & Fees

	First Year Only 24 Tuition-Based Credits, 6 Credits for CPE	2nd & 3rd Year each 30 Credits
Tuition	$23,328	$29,160
Registration fees	$600	$750
Student activity fee	$70	$70
Comprehensive fee	$150	$150
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) registration fee (if applicable)	$150
Loan fees (if applicable)	$300	$300
Estimated tuition & fees TOTAL	$24,598	$30,430

Estimated Living Expenses*

Living expenses*	$26,390	$26,390
Books & Supplies	$1,000	$1,000
Travel to/from Chicago, plus food & lodging	$2,000	$2,000
Estimated living expenses TOTAL	$29,390	$29,390

Estimated Total Cost of Attendance

	First Year	2nd & 3rd Year each
	$53,988	$59,820

 

*Includes housing, transportation (including to/from community internship sites), utilities, food, health insurance, and personal miscellaneous expenses. 

Source: Moderate 9-Month Budget, developed by the College Board based on data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey by the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics

Credentialing Expenses

In addition to the standard expenses of being a student, Master of Divinity students seeking ordination within their particular religious tradition will need to plan for the costs of the credentialing process, which are the same regardless of the school the student attends. These expenses may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) application fee and other associated costs (background check, drug testing)
• Cost of transportation to and from CPE site
• Career assessment costs
• Cost of travel, lodging, and food for Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC) appointment
• Additional reading materials required by the credentialing body
• Criminal record check fee
• Cost of attending annual denominational or organizational assemblies
• Transcript request fees (undergraduate and graduate work, including seminary, for CPE, and denominational applications/packets)  

We are here to help if you need more information or one-on-one assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact us.

For students seeking credentialing within the Unitarian Universalist Association, please see the Credentialing page for more information.