2026 Best Value Religion/Religious Studies Schools in California
[Religion/Religious Studies](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/religious-studies/religion-religious-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 50 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for religion/religious studies students.
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2026 Best Value Religion/Religious Studies Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in religion/religious studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Religion/Religious Studies Schools
University Of California Santa Barbara earned the #1 spot for value among religion/religious studies schools in California. University Of California Santa Barbara is a very large public school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. In-state tuition and fees average $15,444, compared with $47,332 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $15,873 to complete the religion/religious studies program here. Early-career religion/religious studies graduates make about $19,911. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of California Santa Barbara admits about 33% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Vanguard University Of Southern California earned it the #2 place for religion/religious studies. Vanguard University Of Southern California is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Costa Mesa. In-state tuition and fees average $41,700. Students borrow a median of $21,111 to complete the religion/religious studies program here. Soon after graduation, religion/religious studies degree recipients from Vanguard University Of Southern California generally make around $80,727. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in religion/religious studies will find it at Mount St Marys College, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Los Angeles, Mount St Marys College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,564. Religion/religious Studies graduates carry a median of $27,555 in student loans. Early-career religion/religious studies graduates make about $58,110. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 73%.
Santa Clara University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value religion/religious studies schools. Santa Clara University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Santa Clara. In-state tuition and fees average $61,293. Typical student debt for religion/religious studies graduates is $20,144. Soon after graduation, religion/religious studies degree recipients from Santa Clara University generally make around $79,380. Set against $20,144 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 48% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 50 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
