Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

15 Ranked Colleges
301 Degrees Awarded
$11,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Religious Studies is the 115th most popular major in the country with 9,704 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

Across California, there were 406 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,300 and $41,089 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 301 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 15 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 7 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #4 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,364 for california 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Religious Studies Report

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for california bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 UCLA

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at UC Irvine

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 91%.

Full UCR Religious Studies Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $9,842 for California 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 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 UC Davis

California State University - Fullerton landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Religious Studies Report

California State University - Northridge came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 18 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for California 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%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at CSUN

#8

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for california 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 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Religious Studies Report

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#12 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national 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 SDSU Religious Studies Report

#10

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SFSU Religious Studies Report

#11

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Religious Studies at USC

#12

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#14 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,872 for california bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 California - Santa Cruz Religious Studies Report

Vanguard University of Southern California landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Costa Mesa, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanguard, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanguard University of Southern California is $15,222 for california bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Vanguard University of Southern California

#14

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California

Westmont College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k list, Westmont has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $23,381 for california bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Westmont.

The low 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%.

Full Westmont College Religious Studies Report

#15

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

With a ranking of #15, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Baptist is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Baptist, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,277 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Baptist.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 California Baptist University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Philosophy and Religious Studies Schools

Find Schools Near You