by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,034 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major” ranking analyzed 631 colleges that offered a degree in religious studies. That schools that top this list have a program in religious studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Women’S-Institute-Of-Torah-Seminary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major list.
Read more about Religious Studies at Women’S-Institute-Of-Torah-Seminary
Out of the 631 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Graduate School of Theology landed the #1 spot on the list. California Graduate School of Theology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Garden-Grove, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Religious Studies at California Graduate School of Theology
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Messenger College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major. This small school is located in Euless, Texas, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Islamic College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Gratz College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major. Located in Melrose Park, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 56 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.
Jewish Theological Seminary of America came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. Jewish Theological Seminary of America is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 36 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Jewish Theological Seminary of America Religious Studies Report
Williamson Christian College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. Located in Franklin, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Religious Studies at Williamson Christian College
Hebrew Theological College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. Hebrew Theological College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Skokie, Illinois. It awarded 37 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
With a ranking of #9, Champion Christian College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Champion is a small school located in Hot Springs, Arkansas that handed out 3 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Champion Christian College
Faith International University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Tacoma, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Beulah Heights University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Grace College of Divinity did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #12. Grace College of Divinity is a small school located in Fayetteville, North Carolina that handed out 5 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Grace College of Divinity
With a ranking of #13, Saint Joseph Seminary College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Saint Joseph Seminary College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in St. Benedict, Louisiana. It awarded 2 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Religious Studies at Saint Joseph Seminary College
Wabash College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. Crawfordsville, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Arkansas Baptist College ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Arkansas Baptist College is located in Little Rock, Arkansas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Arkansas Baptist College
Pacific Rim Christian University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #16. Pacific Rim Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Pacific Rim Christian University
Martin University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.
Texas College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Texas College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tyler, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
American Jewish University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #19. American Jewish University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Religious Studies at American Jewish University
Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Costa Mesa, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
Ouachita Baptist University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Ouachita Baptist is a small school located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas that handed out 17 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Religious Studies at Ouachita Baptist University
Clinton College ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major list. This small school is located in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
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.
Birmingham Southern College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. BSC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Birmingham, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Birmingham Southern College
Hellenic College - Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Brookline, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.
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%. 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.
Paul Quinn College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. This small school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Reed College | Portland, OR |
| 52 | Furman University | Greenville, SC |
| 53 | Carleton College | Northfield, MN |
| 54 | Kentucky Wesleyan College | Owensboro, KY |
| 55 | Swarthmore College | Swarthmore, PA |
| 56 | Brewton - Parker College | Mount Vernon, GA |
| 57 | Carson - Newman University | Jefferson City, TN |
| 58 | Wayland Baptist University | Plainview, TX |
| 59 | Salem College | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 60 | Shorter University | Rome, GA |
| 61 | Northwestern College | Orange City, IA |
| 62 | Luther College | Decorah, IA |
| 63 | Muhlenberg College | Allentown, PA |
| 64 | Andrews University | Berrien Springs, MI |
| 65 | Saint Norbert College | De Pere, WI |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | Bayamon Central University | Bayamón, PR |
| 92 | Saint Mary’s College | Notre Dame, IN |
| 93 | Rhodes College | Memphis, TN |
| 94 | Catholic University of America | Washington, DC |
| 95 | Huntingdon College | Montgomery, AL |
| 95 | Franklin College | Franklin, IN |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
