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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies

57 Ranked Colleges
212 Degrees Awarded
$57,640 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Religious Studies is the 90th most popular major in the country with 9,470 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 212 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major” ranking analyzed 57 colleges that offered a degree in religious studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in religious studies.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Religious Studies Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree religion students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major. Rochester, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s religion degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School

2
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies crest
Spertus College
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Spertus College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s religion students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Spertus College

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s religion degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full HUC - JIR Religious Studies Report

4
Claremont School of Theology crest
Claremont School of Theology
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont School of Theology. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full Claremont School of Theology Religious Studies Report

5
UWest crest
University of the West
Rosemead, California

Out of the 57 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of the West landed the #5 spot on the list. University of the West is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rosemead, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full UWest Religious Studies Report

6
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

Claremont Graduate University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #6. Claremont Graduate University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 9 doctorate’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Claremont Graduate University

7

Jewish Theological Seminary of America landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. Jewish Theological Seminary of America is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 1 doctorate’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Jewish Theological Seminary of America

8
Bob Jones University crest
Bob Jones University
Greenville, South Carolina

Bob Jones University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Bob Jones University is located in Greenville, South Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s religion degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 86%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Bob Jones University

9
Drew crest
Drew University
Madison, New Jersey

Drew University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #9. Madison, New Jersey is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s religion degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Drew University

10
Andrews crest
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, Michigan

Andrews University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. Andrews University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berrien Springs, Michigan. It awarded 3 doctorate’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Religious Studies at Andrews

11
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s religion degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full Princeton University Religious Studies Report

12
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #12. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 17 doctorate’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Emory

13

Southern Methodist University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Southern Methodist University is a fairly large school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 10 doctorate’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Southern Methodist University

14
Baylor crest
Baylor University
Waco, Texas

Baylor University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. Baylor is a large school located in Waco, Texas that handed out 9 doctorate’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

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 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Baylor

15
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 4 doctorate’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

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 0.2% 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 Rice

16
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

University of Denver ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major list. DU is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s religion degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at University of Denver

17
Yeshiva crest
Yeshiva University
New York, New York

Yeshiva University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #17. Yeshiva University is a medium-sized school located in New York, New York that handed out 3 doctorate’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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%.

Full Yeshiva University Religious Studies Report

18
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

With a ranking of #18, Yale University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s religion degrees to qualified students.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Yale University

19
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s religion students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 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.

Full Vanderbilt Religious Studies Report

20
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #20, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified doctorate’s religion students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus

21
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s religion degrees to qualified students.

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

Full Duke University Religious Studies Report

22
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major list. Marquette is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 3 doctorate’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full Marquette University Religious Studies Report

23
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. Harvard is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 7 doctorate’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Harvard University

24
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s religion degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 more about Religious Studies at Brown University

25

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Religion Major ranking, coming in at #25. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 8 doctorate’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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 95%.

Full Columbia Religious Studies Report

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