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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies (Income $30-$48k)

115 Ranked Colleges
6,012 Degrees Awarded
$6,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

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 $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 115 colleges that offer a degree in religious studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent religious studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the religious studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The religion school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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 $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke also took the #4 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $-1,314 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Duke Religious Studies Report

#2

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $4,833 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at University of Pennsylvania

#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 $30-$48k 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.

Northwestern also made our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $3,995 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Full Northwestern Religious Studies Report

#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 $30-$48k. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 8 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k list, Dartmouth has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $4,830 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Dartmouth College

#5

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wake Forest University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University also took the #5 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $5,981 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wake Forest University Religious Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $4,287 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia.

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 95%. 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.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Religious Studies Report

#7

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

University of Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,800 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Chicago

#8

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Cornell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,518 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cornell University.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive 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.

Read more about Religious Studies at Cornell University

#9

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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $6,017 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 1.0% 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 Vanderbilt

#10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #13 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,887 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend U-M.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Religious Studies Report

#11

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

Boston College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k 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 also made our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $8,951 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Read more about Religious Studies at Boston College

#12

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $6,063 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#13

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 9 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $4,069 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at University of Florida

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $6,860 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Read more about Religious Studies at UW - Madison

#15

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Colgate University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Colgate is located in Hamilton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k list, Colgate has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate University is $8,958 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Colgate Religious Studies Report

#16

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#16 in overall quality

William & Mary ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $4,963 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Religious Studies at William & Mary

#17

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#23 in overall quality

Tufts University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tufts University is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

Tufts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,516 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tufts.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Tufts Religious Studies Report

#18

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hunter College is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $2,394 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Hunter

#19

Trinity College

Hartford, Connecticut
#22 in overall quality

Trinity College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Trinity Bantams is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hartford, Connecticut. It awarded 7 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k list, Trinity Bantams has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity College is $9,123 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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.

Full Trinity College Religious Studies Report

#20

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#18 in overall quality

Emory University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory also made our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $9,629 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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 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 93%.

Full Emory Religious Studies Report

California State University - Long Beach ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,595 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Religious Studies Report

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,467 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Religious Studies Report

#23

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $6,816 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Religious Studies at Florida State University

#24

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,254 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 University of California - Los Angeles

#24

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $11,696 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 Virginia Religious Studies Report

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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