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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Religious Studies

714 Ranked Colleges
9,470 Degrees Awarded
$32,900 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended 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 “Most Well Attended 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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Religion Major” ranking looked at 714 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in religious studies. To top this list, a school must have a successful religious studies program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Religion Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Religion Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for religion students.

1
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Liberty University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major list. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 801 students in 2020-2021.

Full Liberty University Religious Studies Report

2
Yeshiva crest
Yeshiva University
New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yeshiva University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major list. Located in New York, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 547 degrees to qualified ’s religion students 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full Yeshiva Religious Studies Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major list. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wake Forest, North Carolina. It awarded 92 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Religious Studies at SEBTS

4
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Religion Major. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 66 ’s religion degrees 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

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southwestern Assemblies of God University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Religion Major. Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Waxahachie, Texas. It awarded 63 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Southwestern Assemblies of God University Religious Studies Report

6
Gratz College crest
Gratz College
Melrose Park, Pennsylvania

Gratz College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking. This small school is located in Melrose Park, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 58 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Gratz College Religious Studies Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Jewish Theological Seminary of America did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 56 students 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 Jewish Theological Seminary of America

8

Women’S-Institute-Of-Torah-Seminary landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking.

Read more about Religious Studies at

9

University of St Thomas Minnesota ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at UST MN

10
Piedmont International University crest
Piedmont International University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

With a ranking of #10, Piedmont International University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major list. Piedmont International University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 ’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.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Piedmont International University

11

Wayland Baptist University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major list. Wayland Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Plainview, Texas. It awarded 40 ’s religion degrees 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.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Wayland Baptist University

11
Elyon College crest
Elyon College
Brooklyn, New York

Elyon College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking. Elyon College is a small school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 41 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Elyon College Religious Studies Report

13
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major list. Yale is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Yale Religious Studies Report

13

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 38 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara

15

Baylor University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking. Baylor is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Waco, Texas. It awarded 36 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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

16

Beulah Heights University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking. BHU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Religious Studies at BHU

17

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Religious Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York

18
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 30 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full California Baptist University Religious Studies Report

18

University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 30 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full UNC Charlotte Religious Studies Report

20
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies crest
Spertus College
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Spertus College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 28 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, 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.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Spertus College

20
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major list. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at UGA

22
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking. American Public University System is a large private for-profit school situated in Charles Town, West Virginia. It awarded 27 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at American Military University

22

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major list. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Religious Studies Report

22
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking, coming in at #22. Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Harvard University

22
Crown crest
Crown College
Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota

Crown College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major ranking. Crown is located in Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Crown

Rest of the Best 54 in Most Well Attended Religion Major

Not only did these schools make the top 54 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
26
26
Seminary Bnos Chaim crest
Seminary Bnos Chaim
Lakewood, New Jersey
26
26
31
31
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia
31
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
34
Friends University crest
Friends University
Wichita, Kansas
35
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas
35
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
37
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
37
Fordham U crest
Fordham University
Bronx, New York
37
37
41
Claremont School of Theology crest
Claremont School of Theology
Claremont, California
41
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
41
St. Leo University crest
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo, Florida
41
Hartford Seminary crest
Hartford Seminary
Hartford, Connecticut
45
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California
45
CUA crest
Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia
47
UMary crest
University of Mary
Bismarck, North Dakota
48
48
Anderson University South Carolina crest
Anderson University South Carolina
Anderson, South Carolina
48
Ouachita Baptist crest
Ouachita Baptist University
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
48
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
48
Seton Hall crest
Seton Hall University
South Orange, New Jersey
48
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
48
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Religion Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
55Andrews UniversityBerrien Springs, MI
55Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityMount Vernon, OH
55Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC
55University of MobileMobile, AL
55Wabash CollegeCrawfordsville, IN
55Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
61Denver SeminaryLittleton, CO
61Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
61Saint Mary’s University of MinnesotaWinona, MN
61Furman UniversityGreenville, SC
61Grace College of DivinityFayetteville, NC
66Gardner - Webb UniversityBoiling Springs, NC
66Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
66Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
69University of FloridaGainesville, FL
RankCollegeLocation
69University of IowaIowa City, IA
69Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
69University of KansasLawrence, KS
69University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
69Missouri State University - SpringfieldSpringfield, MO
69Claremont Graduate UniversityClaremont, CA
76Oklahoma Baptist UniversityShawnee, OK
76Touro CollegeNew York, NY
76California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
76Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA
76Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
76University of Wisconsin - MadisonMadison, WI
76Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA
76Athens State UniversityAthens, AL
84Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY
84Grove City CollegeGrove City, PA
84University of California - RiversideRiverside, CA
84Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
84San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
84California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
84California State University - ChicoChico, CA
84Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
84Southern Wesleyan UniversityCentral, SC
84Bethune - Cookman UniversityDaytona Beach, FL
84Carson - Newman UniversityJefferson City, TN
RankCollegeLocation
84Northwest Nazarene UniversityNampa, ID
84Mississippi CollegeClinton, MS
84Campbell UniversityBuies Creek, NC
84University of Mary Hardin - BaylorBelton, TX
84Hope CollegeHolland, MI
100Point Loma Nazarene UniversitySan Diego, CA
100Regent UniversityVirginia Beach, VA
100Union UniversityJackson, TN
100New York UniversityNew York, NY
100Trinity Episcopal School for MinistryAmbridge, PA
100Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
100University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO
100University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
100Oklahoma City UniversityOklahoma City, OK
100Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
100East Texas Baptist UniversityMarshall, TX
100University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
100Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
100Gordon CollegeWenham, MA

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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