Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies in the Great Lakes Region

14 Ranked Colleges
377 Degrees Awarded
$20,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

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 the Great Lakes region, there were 545 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,033 and $27,538 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 377 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

More Ways to Rank Religious Studies Schools

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 in the Great Lakes Region”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree religion students.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Valley State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 6 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree religion students per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at GVSU

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mount Vernon Nazarene University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Mount Vernon, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MVNU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MVNU is $20,282 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree religion students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at MVNU

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 18 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

UWM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree religion students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#4

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Michigan University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. WMU is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WMU is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Religion students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Western Michigan University

#5

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Michigan University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Eastern Michigan is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eastern Michigan, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree religion students per year to attend Eastern Michigan.

Read more about Religious Studies at Eastern Michigan University

#5 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree religion students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ohio State Religious Studies Report

#7

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree religion students per year to attend Central Michigan.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Central Michigan University

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 10 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree religion students.

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

Full UW - Madison Religious Studies Report

#9

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #9, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Religion students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Indiana University - Bloomington

#10

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. DePaul University is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also made our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $30,090 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree religion students per year to attend DePaul.

The low 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%.

Full DePaul University Religious Studies Report

#11

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#3 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $15,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree religion students.

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

Read full report on Religious Studies at U-M

#12

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Lake Forest College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lake Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest is $26,426 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Religion students.

The low 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%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Lake Forest

#13

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $27,315 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Religion students.

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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Full UChicago Religious Studies Report

#14

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Northwestern University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree religion students list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $24,664 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Religion students.

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