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2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid

64 Ranked Colleges
9,470 Degrees Awarded
$15,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 9,470 people earned their degree in religious studies, making the major the 90th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, religious studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,289 and had an average of $24,431 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 64 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in religious studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great religious studies programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for religion students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Religious Studies (With Aid)

1

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #1 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for religion students with aid.

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

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

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 7 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for religion students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 15 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our religion students with aid list, UF has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,135 for religion students with aid per year to attend UF.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at UF

4
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #4 spot on the list. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $32,459 for Religion students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. 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.

Read more about Religious Studies at Duke

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,234 for religion students with aid.

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 low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Religious Studies at UW - Madison

6
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 25 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,946 for Religion students with aid per year to attend Florida State University.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Florida State Religious Studies Report

7
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $22,006 for Religion students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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 University of Virginia

8

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 27 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $18,350 for Religion students with aid.

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

Full The University of Texas at Austin Religious Studies Report

9
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 21 degrees to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

Emory also made our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $22,597 for Religion students with aid per year to attend Emory.

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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Emory Religious Studies Report

10

With a ranking of #10, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. ASU - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 31 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $13,107 for Religion students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Arizona State University - Tempe

11

California State University - Northridge came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,523 for religion students with aid.

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 California State University - Northridge Religious Studies Report

12
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $25,046 for Religion students with aid.

The low undergrad 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Religious Studies at UPenn

13

University of California - Davis landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 10 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our religion students with aid list, UC Davis has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $15,768 for Religion students with aid.

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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at UC Davis

14

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. It costs about $16,252 for Religion students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara

15

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Religious Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $22,823 for religion students with aid.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Columbia

16
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #16, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Brooklyn College is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,067 for religion students with aid per year to attend Brooklyn College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Brooklyn College

17

Florida International University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,298 for Religion students with aid per year to attend FIU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Florida International University

18

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 10 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,003 for Religion students with aid per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - Fullerton Religious Studies Report

19

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UNC Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $17,634 for religion students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

20

University of California - Riverside came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 12 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,822 for religion students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at University of California - Riverside

21

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for religion students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Religious Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

22
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $19,970 for Religion students with aid.

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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Vanderbilt University

23
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

With a ranking of #23, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 11 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $13,358 for religion students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Arizona

24

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,845 for Religion students with aid per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 full report on Religious Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus

25
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

With a ranking of #25, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $23,035 for religion students with aid per year to attend Rutgers New Brunswick.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Rutgers University - New Brunswick

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