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2023 Best Value Colleges for Religion/Religious Studies (Income $30-$48k)

50 Ranked Colleges
3,626 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

Religion/Religious Studies is the 189th most popular major in the country with 3,626 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

For this year’s “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 50 colleges that offer a degree in religion/religious studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality religion/religious studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the religion/religious studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Religion/Religious Studies Schools

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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 “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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.

Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Religion/Religious Studies (Income $30-$48k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list. It costs about $-927 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Duke University. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Duke University Religion/Religious Studies Report

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $1,938 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 0.9% 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 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 Religion/Religious Studies at UPenn

3

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #3 spot on the list. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 24 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our religion students whose families make $30-$48k list, Columbia has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,699 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 Religion/Religious Studies at Columbia

4
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emory University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Emory University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 18 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Emory also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $8,976 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Emory University

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $4,652 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Vanderbilt University Religion/Religious Studies Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Religion/Religious Studies Report

7
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 15 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $2,857 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at UF

8

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list. It costs about $4,788 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Religion/Religious Studies at UW - Madison

9

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 7 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $6,399 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Religion/Religious Studies Report

10
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our religion students whose families make $30-$48k list, Florida State has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $7,349 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Full Florida State Religion/Religious Studies Report

11
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $10,063 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus

12

With a ranking of #12, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe also took the #22 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $10,628 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at Arizona State University - Tempe

13
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 7 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Boston U also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $11,782 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. 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 Religion/Religious Studies at Boston U

14

University of California - Davis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $11,598 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 93%.

Full University of California - Davis Religion/Religious Studies Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our religion students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSB has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,606 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Religion/Religious Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara

16

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,581 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.

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 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Religion/Religious Studies Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 8 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,036 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

18

Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,882 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida International University.

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 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at FIU

19

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,103 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at CSUN

20

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $14,977 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 10 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $5,821 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Cal State Fullerton

22

University of California - Riverside landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UCR is $8,193 for religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at UCR

23

With a ranking of #23, University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a large public school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 30 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $13,226 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at UNC Charlotte

24
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $10,160 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Arizona Religion/Religious Studies Report

25
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,345 for Religion students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Southern California Religion/Religious Studies Report

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