by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 57 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for religious studies students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 6,034 bachelor's degrees in religious studies to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of religious studies for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for religious studies students working on their bachelor's degree.
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 the Best Religious Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in religious studies.
Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in religious studies has to check out University of Pennsylvania. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in religious studies from University of Pennsylvania
Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in religious studies has to look into Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Jewish Theological Seminary of America is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
Those religious studies students who get their bachelor's degree from Jewish Theological Seminary of America earn $7,393 more than the standard religion grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in religious studies from Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Duke University is a good option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in religious studies. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in religious studies from Duke University
Emory University is a good decision for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in religious studies. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in religious studies from Emory University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a great decision for students interested in a bachelor's degree in religious studies. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in religious studies from Columbia University in the City of New York
Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville.More information about a bachelor’s in religious studies from Vanderbilt University
University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Charlottesville.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the religion program make about $24,609 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in religious studies from University of Virginia - Main Campus
UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the religion program make around $29,606 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in religious studies from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in religious studies from University of Wisconsin - Madison
USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a bachelor’s in religious studies from University of Southern California
Here are some additional great schools for Religious Studies students that almost earned our Best Religious Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Liberty University | Lynchburg, VA |
| 11 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX |
| 12 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 13 | University of St Thomas Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN |
| 14 | George Washington University | Washington, DC |
View the Best Religious Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Religious Studies is one of 3 different types of Philosophy & Religious Studies programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Religion/Religious Studies | 2,833 |
| Christian Studies | 338 |
| Jewish Studies | 296 |
| Other Religion/Religious Studies | 43 |
| Islamic Studies | 12 |
| Catholic Studies | 2 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | 8,334 |
| Other Philosophy & Religious Studies | 179 |
| General Philosophy & Religious Studies | 138 |
