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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies in California

52 Ranked Colleges
314 Degrees Awarded
$25,235 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor's

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 California, there were 420 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,978 and $18,684 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 314 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 52 colleges that offered a degree 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s”.

1

Out of the 52 schools in the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 32 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at UCSB

2
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

Out of the 52 schools in the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, California Baptist University landed the #2 spot on the list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 30 bachelors’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%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Cal Baptist

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanguard University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s. 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 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%.

Full Vanguard Religious Studies Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Religious Studies Report

5
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at San Diego State University

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s 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%.

Full CSUN Religious Studies Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Chico. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Full Chico State Religious Studies Report

8
PLNU crest
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Full PLNU Religious Studies Report

8
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Malibu, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Religious Studies at Pepperdine

10

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 10 bachelors’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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fullerton Religious Studies Report

10

California State University - Long Beach ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Religious Studies at CSULB

12
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Westmont College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 9 students 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%.

Full Westmont Religious Studies Report

13

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full CSUB Religious Studies Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 8 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of California - Riverside

13

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Read more about Religious Studies at UC Davis

16
University of Redlands crest
University of Redlands
Redlands, California

University of Redlands landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Redlands, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.

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 Redlands

16
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Southern California

18
USD crest
University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. San Diego, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of San Diego Religious Studies Report

18
The Master's University crest
The Master's University and Seminary
Santa Clarita, California

With a ranking of #18, The Master’s University and Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Santa Clarita, California, and it awarded 5 bachelors’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%.

Full The Master’s University Religious Studies Report

18
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #18. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Religious Studies at Humboldt State University

18

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #18. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at UCSD

22

California Graduate School of Theology ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Garden-Grove, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Full California Graduate School of Theology Religious Studies Report

22
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Pomona College Religious Studies Report

24
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Francisco State University Religious Studies Report

24
Simpson U crest
Simpson University
Redding, California

Simpson University ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Simpson University is located in Redding, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Simpson U

24
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

With a ranking of #24, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read more about Religious Studies at SCU

24
AJU crest
American Jewish University
Los Angeles, California

American Jewish University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. AJU 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%. 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.

Full American Jewish University Religious Studies Report

24
La Sierra crest
La Sierra University
Riverside, California

With a ranking of #24, La Sierra University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. La Sierra is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full La Sierra University Religious Studies Report

24

University of California - Irvine came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of California - Irvine

24
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. Fresno Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno Pacific Religious Studies Report

Notes and References

References

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