2027 Best Value Religion/Religious Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

[Religion/Religious Studies](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/religious-studies/religion-religious-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong religion/religious studies education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for religion/religious studies students.
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2027 Best Value Religion/Religious Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the religion/religious studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Religion/Religious Studies Schools
For return on investment in religion/religious studies, no school beat Columbia University In The City Of New York this year. Set in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Religion/religious Studies graduates carry a median of $23,258 in student loans. Religion/religious Studies graduates of Columbia University In The City Of New York earn a median of $86,770 early in their careers. Set against $23,258 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 4%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Elim Bible Institute And College earned it the #2 place for religion/religious studies. Set in the rural area of Lima, Elim Bible Institute And College is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,678. Students borrow a median of $11,998 to complete the religion/religious studies program here. Religion/religious Studies graduates of Elim Bible Institute And College earn a median of $18,339 early in their careers. Roughly 100% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in religion/religious studies, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $21,926 in tuition and fees, compared with $41,430 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for religion/religious studies graduates is $24,958. Soon after graduation, religion/religious studies degree recipients from University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus generally make around $56,926. Set against $24,958 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus admits about 58% of applicants.
Catholic University Of America came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value religion/religious studies schools. Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students from in state pay about $58,378 in tuition and fees. Religion/religious Studies graduates carry a median of $25,771 in student loans. Religion/religious Studies graduates of Catholic University Of America earn a median of $65,120 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,771 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.