by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois” 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.
Across Illinois, there were 168 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,468 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois” ranking looked at 26 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois”.
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. 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.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Islamic College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. American Islamic College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Religious Studies at American Islamic College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Spertus College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 28 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. 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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois. Lisle, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hebrew Theological College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. Hebrew Theological College is a small school located in Skokie, Illinois that handed out 37 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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.
Out of the 26 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Chicago Theological Seminary landed the #5 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Chicago Theological Seminary
Meadville Lombard Theological School came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Meadville Lombard Theological School is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 1 ’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 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 more about Religious Studies at Meadville Lombard Theological School
Principia College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Elsah, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
Greenville University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Greenville University is a small school located in Greenville, Illinois that handed out 7 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #9. TIU Illinois is located in Deerfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
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.
With a ranking of #10, Augustana College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. Augustana College is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 5 ’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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. Lake Forest College is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 2 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Olivet Nazarene University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Religious Studies at Olivet Nazarene University
With a ranking of #13, Bradley University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. Bradley University is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. Illinois Wesleyan is located in Bloomington, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.
Read more about Religious Studies at Illinois Wesleyan University
With a ranking of #15, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
Read more about Religious Studies at Concordia University, Chicago
With a ranking of #16, North Central College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at North Central College
Northwestern University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s religion degrees to qualified 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. The low undergrad 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 97%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Northwestern University
With a ranking of #18, Lewis University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Romeoville, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 94%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Aurora University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #20. Aurora University is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
DePaul University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. DePaul is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 2 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
University of Chicago came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Elmhurst University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 ranking of #23, McKendree University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. McKendree University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 0 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%.
With a ranking of #23, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. SXU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 0 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Religious Studies at Saint Xavier University
Loyola University Chicago came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 0 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
