2023 Best Value Colleges for Religious Studies (Income $0-$30k)
64
Ranked Colleges
9,470
Degrees Awarded
$6,300
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 9,470 people earned their degree in religious studies, making the major the 90th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, religious studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,289 and had an average of $24,431 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 64 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in religious studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality religious studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the religious studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Religious Studies (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 22 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $371 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Duke University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
UPenn also took the #3 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $580 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full UPenn Religious Studies Report
Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #3 spot on the list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt also took the #5 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,176 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Vanderbilt Religious Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emory University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Emory also made our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Emory University is $8,538 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Religious Studies at Emory
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our religion students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Religious Studies at UNC Chapel Hill
University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 2 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our religion students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Chicago Religious Studies Report
University of Florida landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $65 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Religious Studies at University of Florida
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison
With a ranking of #9, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 35 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also made our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Columbia Religious Studies Report
Boston College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 5 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
Boston College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $10,212 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Religious Studies at Boston College
With a ranking of #11, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also made our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $12,476 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus
Florida State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $4,950 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Religious Studies at Florida State University
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 7 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also made our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
With a ranking of #14, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,969 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Religious Studies at ASU - Tempe
Boston University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston U is $12,982 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Boston U
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,858 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Religious Studies Report
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
UCSB also made our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $10,568 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Religious Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 10 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. It costs about $10,006 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Davis.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Religious Studies at UC Davis
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $7,068 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Religious Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus
The University of Texas at Austin ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 27 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $13,753 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full The University of Texas at Austin Religious Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $7,698 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Religious Studies at UMN Twin Cities
With a ranking of #22, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,196 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FIU.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full FIU Religious Studies Report
California State University - Northridge ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $6,266 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at California State University - Northridge
California State University - Fullerton ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 10 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,590 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at California State University - Fullerton
Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 2 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $1,547 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brooklyn College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Brooklyn College Religious Studies Report
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