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2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

115 Ranked Colleges
6,012 Degrees Awarded
$5,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 9,704 people earned their degree in religious studies, making the major the 115th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, religious studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,163 and had an average of $28,712 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,012 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 115 colleges that offer a degree in religious studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality religious studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the religious studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Religious Studies Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies (Income $0-$30k)

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #3 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $3,181 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Pennsylvania Religious Studies Report

#2

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 115 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #2 spot on the list. Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $-7,808 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Duke

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 97%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Northwestern

#4

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dartmouth College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth is $12,052 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Dartmouth

#5

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 115 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $2,712 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Religious Studies at UChicago

#6

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#12 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 3 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $3,156 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Vanderbilt

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 8 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,166 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Religious Studies Report

#8

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $1,994 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Florida Religious Studies Report

#9

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#6 in overall quality

Cornell University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also made our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $7,484 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Cornell

#10

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 29 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at UNC Chapel Hill

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,367 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison Religious Studies Report

#12

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, William & Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 11 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,711 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 William & Mary

#13

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Hunter is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 13 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $320 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Hunter

#14

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 10 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,250 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Wake Forest University

#15

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $5,360 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State Religious Studies Report

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 students.

Read more about Religious Studies at UW Seattle

California State University - Long Beach landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,364 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full CSULB Religious Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 8 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #7 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $8,916 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York

#19

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Tufts University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tufts has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,267 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts University.

The 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. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Religious Studies at Tufts University

#20

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Emory University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory also took the #18 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,468 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emory.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Emory

#21

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

Boston College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 7 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $6,353 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Boston College Religious Studies Report

Florida International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $5,002 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Florida International University

#23

Trinity College

Hartford, Connecticut
#22 in overall quality

Trinity College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hartford, Connecticut is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

Trinity Bantams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity College is $6,256 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Trinity Bantams Religious Studies Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 8 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,194 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Religious Studies at Ohio State

#25

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
Top 25% in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 16 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at University of California - Los Angeles

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Sowlos.

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