High trust in pastors by education level
Percent of U.S. adults with high levels of trust in pastors, 2025 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: College graduates (38%). Lowest: High school graduate or less (15%).
- College graduates: 38%
- Some college: 30%
- High school graduate or less: 15%
Source: Lifeway Research, Americans' Trust in Pastors Hits Historic Low · Gallup Honesty and Ethics Survey of U.S. adults. Article published 2026-01-16.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: College graduates (38%). Lowest: High school graduate or less (15%). College graduates: 38%. Some college: 30%. High school graduate or less: 15%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2025. Source: Lifeway Research, Americans' Trust in Pastors Hits Historic Low (https://research.lifeway.com/2026/01/16/americans-trust-in-pastors-hits-historic-low/).
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About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.