Cost of Attendance
The following information can help you estimate the standard expenses of being a Meadville Lombard student. This table assumes full-time enrollment (9 credits each for Fall and Spring semesters and 6 credits for Summer: 24 credit hours in total) and a modest lifestyle. It is also used in calculating financial aid, including grants and loans.
Many students take more than 9 credits in Fall or Spring, and 27 credit hours are necessary for Master of Divinity students who plan to complete the program in three years; be sure to modify the tuition and registration fees as you estimate. The 2019/2020 tuition rate is
Estimated Yearly Expenses
Estimated 2019/2020 Tuition and Fees
| Tuition | $22,815 |
| Registration |
$600 |
| Loan fees (if applicable) | $300 |
| Comprehensive fee | $150 |
| Technology |
$150 |
| Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) registration fee (if applicable) | $150 |
| Student activity fee | $105 |
| Estimated tuition and fees TOTAL | $24,270 |
Estimated Living Expenses
| 12-months of living expenses* | $26,200 |
| Books and supplies | $1,000 |
| Travel to/from Chicago, plus lodging | $3,500 |
| Estimated living expenses TOTAL | $30,700 |
Estimated Total Cost of Attendance: $54,970
*Includes housing, transportation (including to/from community internship sites), utilities, food, health insurance, and personal miscellaneous expenses.
Source: Moderate 12-Months Budget, developed by the College Board based on data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey by the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics
Average Completion Time of Our Degree Programs
To plan for the cost of
- The Master of Divinity degree program is a 90-credit program, which full-time students can complete in three years, averaging 27 tuition-based credits per year. An additional 9 credits (not tuition-based) are earned for Clinical Pastoral Education. The cost of Clinical Pastoral Education is not included in tuition.
- The Master of Arts in Religion degree program is a 48-credit program, which full-time students can complete in two years, averaging 24 credits per year.
- The Master of Arts in Leadership Studies degree program is a 36-credit program, which full-time students can complete in 18 months.
Credentialing Expenses
In addition to the standard expenses of being a student, Master of Divinity students seeking Unitarian Universalist ordination will need to plan for the costs of the fellowshipping process, which are the same regardless of which seminary a candidate attends.
- 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 MFC required reading list books
- Criminal record check fee
- Cost of attending UU General Assembly (not required, but valuable)
- Transcript request fees (undergraduate and graduate work, including seminary, for CPE, and MFC applications/packets)
We are here to help if you need more information or one-on-one assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact us.
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