2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California
66
Ranked Colleges
420
Degrees Awarded
$33,600
Avg Cost*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Religion Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Religion Major in California” ranking, we looked at 66 colleges that offer a degree in religious studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular religious studies programs in the United States.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Religious Studies Schools
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” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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
The colleges and universities below are the best for california religion students.
Top 28 Most Popular Colleges for Religious Studies in California
Out of the 66 schools in the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #1 spot on the list. UCSB 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%. 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 - Santa Barbara
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Baptist University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Religious Studies at Cal Baptist
Out of the 66 schools in the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanguard University of Southern California landed the #3 spot on the list. Vanguard is located in Costa Mesa, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Read more about Religious Studies at Vanguard
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 list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Religious Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont School of Theology. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California. Claremont School of Theology is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 21 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Religious Studies at Claremont School of Theology
With a ranking of #6, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. Santa Clara University is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Full SCU Religious Studies Report
Claremont Graduate University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California ranking. Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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.
Full Claremont Graduate University Religious Studies Report
Pepperdine University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California ranking, coming in at #8. Pepperdine University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Malibu, California. It awarded 13 ’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Pepperdine
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Religious Studies at CSULB
California State University - Chico ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 12 students 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 California State University - Chico Religious Studies Report
University of California - Riverside ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 ’s 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 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%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of California - Riverside
California State University - Northridge ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 ’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%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at CSUN
San Diego State University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 12 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 SDSU
With a ranking of #14, Point Loma Nazarene University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. PLNU is located in San Diego, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Point Loma Nazarene University
California State University - Fullerton came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 10 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at California State University - Fullerton
With a ranking of #15, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 10 ’s religion 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Davis Religious Studies Report
With a ranking of #17, Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. Santa Rosa, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Religious Studies at Santa Rosa Junior College
Westmont College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. This small school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 9 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full Westmont Religious Studies Report
California State University - Bakersfield came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California ranking. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Religious Studies at California State University - Bakersfield
University of Southern California ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large 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 9 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 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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Southern California Religious Studies Report
With a ranking of #20, University of Redlands did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. Redlands, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Redlands
With a ranking of #22, University of the West did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. Rosemead, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 6 students 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.
Full University of the West Religious Studies Report
Crafton Hills College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California ranking. CHC is located in Yucaipa, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
Full Crafton Hills College Religious Studies Report
Stanford University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California ranking. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 5 ’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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Stanford University Religious Studies Report
Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Humboldt State University
University of California - San Diego ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Read more about Religious Studies at UCSD
University of San Diego came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major in California ranking. This medium-sized school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 5 ’s religion degrees 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%.
Read more about Religious Studies at USD
With a ranking of #24, The Master’s University and Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major in California list. This small school is located in Santa Clarita, California, and it awarded 5 ’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%.
Read more about Religious Studies at The Master’s University and Seminary
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
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