2026 Best Value Religious Studies Schools in the Far Western Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the religious studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Religious Studies Schools
For return on investment in religious studies, no school beat University Of California Santa Barbara this year. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, University Of California Santa Barbara is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,444, while out-of-state students pay about $47,332. Students borrow a median of $15,873 to complete the religious studies program here. Religious Studies graduates of University Of California Santa Barbara earn a median of $19,911 early in their careers. Set against $15,873 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 33% of applicants are accepted.
Vanguard University Of Southern California is a great value for students pursuing a degree in religious studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Costa Mesa, Vanguard University Of Southern California is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,700. Religious Studies graduates carry a median of $21,111 in student loans. Religious Studies graduates of Vanguard University Of Southern California earn a median of $80,727 early in their careers. Set against $21,111 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Vanguard University Of Southern California admits about 62% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in religious studies will find it at Mount St Marys College, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Mount St Marys College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $49,564. Religious Studies graduates carry a median of $27,555 in student loans. Religious Studies graduates of Mount St Marys College earn a median of $58,110 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 73%.
A rank of #4 makes Faith Evangelical College And Seminary one of the best values for religious studies. Located in the city of Tacoma, Faith Evangelical College And Seminary is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,850. Typical student debt for religious studies graduates is $17,813. Early-career religious studies graduates make about $42,103. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad West Coast Talmudical Seminary came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value religious studies schools. Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad West Coast Talmudical Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. In-state tuition and fees average $16,900. Religious Studies graduates of Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad West Coast Talmudical Seminary earn a median of $15,652 early in their careers. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
California Baptist University landed the #6 spot for religious studies value this year. California Baptist University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Riverside. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $41,228. Religious Studies graduates carry a median of $24,474 in student loans. Religious Studies graduates of California Baptist University earn a median of $29,582 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Santa Clara University placed #7 among the best values for religious studies. Santa Clara University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Santa Clara. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,293. Religious Studies graduates carry a median of $20,144 in student loans. Early-career religious studies graduates make about $79,380. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 48% of applicants are accepted.
Narrow Religious Studies Schools by State
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 87 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
[Religious Studies](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/religious-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
