by our College Data Analytics Team
[Religious Studies](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/religious-studies/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a religious studies degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find where religious studies graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose religious studies graduates go on to earn the most.
Faith Evangelical College And Seminary tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying religious studies schools in the Far Western Region. Set in the city of Tacoma, Faith Evangelical College And Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution. Religious Studies graduates of Faith Evangelical College And Seminary earn a median of about $42,103 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in religious studies will find them at California Baptist University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Riverside, California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career religious studies graduates from California Baptist University make a median of around $40,623 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Whitworth University earned it the #3 place for religious studies. Whitworth University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Spokane. Students who complete the religious studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $43,395.
University Of Puget Sound produces some of the highest-paid graduates in religious studies, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Tacoma, University Of Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the religious studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $47,387.
Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad West Coast Talmudical Seminary came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying religious studies schools. Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad West Coast Talmudical Seminary is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Early-career religious studies graduates from Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad West Coast Talmudical Seminary make a median of around $37,286 per year.
California State University Northridge earned the #6 position for religious studies graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Northridge, California State University Northridge is a public institution. Early-career religious studies graduates from California State University Northridge make a median of around $23,219 per year.
University Of California Santa Barbara landed the #7 spot for religious studies salaries this year. University Of California Santa Barbara is a public school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. Students who complete the religious studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $19,911.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their religious studies graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 7 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.