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2023 Best Value Colleges for Religious Studies (Income $48-$75k)

64 Ranked Colleges
9,470 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 $48-$75k” 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 64 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Religious Studies (Income $48-$75k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

Duke also made our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $7,160 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Duke University

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia University in the City of New York 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. It costs about $8,106 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Columbia.

With a undergrad 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 undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Columbia Religious Studies Report

3
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 16 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our religion students whose families make $48-$75k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $7,694 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergraduate 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Vanderbilt Religious Studies Report

4
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $12,020 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. 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 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%.

Full University of Pennsylvania Religious Studies Report

5
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $8,375 for religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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. 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%.

Read more about Religious Studies at UChicago

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $8,394 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at UF

7

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,619 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also took the #18 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $8,393 for religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Religious Studies Report

9
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Emory is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

Emory did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $16,646 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Emory University

10

With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 34 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #11 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $10,364 for religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UW - Madison Religious Studies Report

11
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,506 for religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Florida State University

12
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 66 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $16,019 for religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Virginia

13

University of California - Davis landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $14,193 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 University of California - Davis

14

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 38 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our religion students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $14,583 for religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSB Religious Studies Report

15

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $16,134 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Religious Studies Report

16

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 31 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

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. It costs about $15,561 for religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Religious Studies at Arizona State University - Tempe

17
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 5 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston College, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,098 for religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Boston College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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

18

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 4 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,273 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 full report on Religious Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus

19

Florida International University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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 $7,292 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida International University.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Florida International University

20

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $12,911 for religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

21
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Boston University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 7 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Boston U also made our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Boston U is $18,458 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Boston U

22

University of California - Riverside landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $11,126 for religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Religious Studies at UCR

23

California State University - Northridge landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 12 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $10,780 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full CSUN Religious Studies Report

24

California State University - Fullerton came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 10 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,017 for Religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. 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 California State University - Fullerton Religious Studies Report

25

Jewish Theological Seminary of America did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Jewish Theological Seminary of America is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our religion students whose families make $48-$75k list, Jewish Theological Seminary of America has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Jewish Theological Seminary of America is $25,347 for religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive undergraduate 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.

Read more about Religious Studies at Jewish Theological Seminary of America

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References

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