by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 3,626 people earned their degree in religion/religious studies, making the major the 189th most popular in the United States.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,833 religion/religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 551 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in religion/religious studies. To top this list, a school must have a successful religion/religious studies program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree religion students.
Out of the 551 schools in the Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Liberty University landed the #1 spot on the list. Liberty University is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 698 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Liberty University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of St Thomas Minnesota. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 40 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at University of St Thomas Minnesota
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 36 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at University of Virginia
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 32 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Religion/Religious Studies Report
Out of the 551 schools in the Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the #5 spot on the list. American Public University System is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 27 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at American Public University System
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Baylor University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s list. Baylor University is located in Waco, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a large public school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 26 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Vanguard University of Southern California ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s list. Vanguard is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Costa Mesa, California. It awarded 26 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Georgia ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
St Olaf College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. St. Olaf is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 23 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Faith International University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. Tacoma, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Saint Leo University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Saint Leo, Florida, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #13, Fordham University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Religion/Religious Studies Report
With a ranking of #16, Catholic University of America did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at Catholic University of America
With a ranking of #17, Wabash College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s list. Wabash College is a small school located in Crawfordsville, Indiana that handed out 17 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 17 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at University of California - Los Angeles
Furman University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Greenville, South Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #19, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Florida State University
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #21. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
With a ranking of #22, The University of Alabama did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s list. UA is a large public school situated in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awarded 14 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full The University of Alabama Religion/Religious Studies Report
Miami University - Oxford landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 14 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Miami University - Oxford Religion/Religious Studies Report
With a ranking of #22, Gardner - Webb University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s list. Gardner - Webb University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Gardner - Webb University
Andrews University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Andrews is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berrien Springs, Michigan. It awarded 13 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Georgetown University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Religion Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Georgetown University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at Georgetown University
Not only did these schools make the top 52 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 54 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL |
| 54 | Montclair State University | Montclair, NJ |
| 54 | Carleton College | Northfield, MN |
| 54 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 54 | Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 54 | University of Dayton | Dayton, OH |
| 54 | Georgia State University | Atlanta, GA |
| 54 | Hillsdale College | Hillsdale, MI |
| 54 | University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ |
| 63 | California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach, CA |
| 63 | Columbia University in the City of New York | New York, NY |
| 63 | Cornell College | Mount Vernon, IA |
| 63 | Pacific Lutheran University | Tacoma, WA |
| 63 | University of California - Davis | Davis, CA |
| 63 | Swarthmore College | Swarthmore, PA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | Clemson University | Clemson, SC |
| 63 | Guilford College | Greensboro, NC |
| 63 | University of South Florida - Main Campus | Tampa, FL |
| 63 | University of California - Riverside | Riverside, CA |
| 63 | Haverford College | Haverford, PA |
| 63 | California State University - Bakersfield | Bakersfield, CA |
| 63 | Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR |
| 63 | Gonzaga University | Spokane, WA |
| 63 | Indiana University - Bloomington | Bloomington, IN |
| 63 | Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, TN |
| 63 | University of Mount Olive | Mount Olive, NC |
| 63 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
| 63 | Hunter College | New York, NY |
| 63 | Macalester College | Saint Paul, MN |
| 63 | University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, IA |
| 63 | Saint Norbert College | De Pere, WI |
| 63 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Eau Claire, WI |
| 63 | University of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
