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2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

98 Ranked Colleges
3,000 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 3,832 people earned their degree in religion/religious studies, making the major the 173rd most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,000 religion/religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 98 colleges that offer a degree in religion/religious studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent religion/religious studies programs, but they also cost less that 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religion/Religious Studies (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,150 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Duke.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The 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 Duke University

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $6,452 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Northwestern

#3

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dartmouth, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth is $9,044 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Dartmouth Religion/Religious Studies Report

#4

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 4 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $12,752 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 school has an impressive 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 students.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at University of Pennsylvania

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 98 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #5 spot on the list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 8 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,887 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Columbia Religion/Religious Studies Report

#6

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also took the #9 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $8,086 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 Vanderbilt Religion/Religious Studies Report

#7

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

Wake Forest University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,004 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

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 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 more about Religion/Religious Studies at Wake Forest University

#8

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#5 in overall quality

Cornell University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 3 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $11,869 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Cornell University

#9

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

William & Mary came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $11,721 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full William & Mary Religion/Religious Studies Report

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $9,694 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at UW Seattle

#11

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#15 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,060 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 UNC Chapel Hill

#12

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 9 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,528 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Florida.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low 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%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at University of Florida

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 9 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,227 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

California State University - Long Beach ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,807 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 full report on Religion/Religious Studies at CSULB

#15

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 14 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $13,081 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 UCLA Religion/Religious Studies Report

#16

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $6,894 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Hunter

With a ranking of #17, Florida International University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. FIU is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 12 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,298 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend FIU.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at FIU

#18

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 18 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $10,583 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Florida State University

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $15,757 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at UT Austin

With a ranking of #20, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,982 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, 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 94%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#21

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#19 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $14,671 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 students.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#22

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Emory University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Emory is a fairly large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 7 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory also took the #14 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $19,672 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full Emory University Religion/Religious Studies Report

University of California - Davis landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,578 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

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 student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at University of California - Davis

#24

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#11 in overall quality

Colgate University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Colgate University is a small school located in Hamilton, New York that handed out 11 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colgate, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colgate University is $16,525 for Bachelor’s Degree Religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Colgate University

#25

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,290 for bachelor’s degree religion students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at University of California - Riverside

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

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees 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

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Sowlos.

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