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2023 Best Value Colleges for Religious Education in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

10 Ranked Colleges
292 Degrees Awarded
$20,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 1,417 people earned their degree in religious education, making the major the 216th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, religious education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,694 and had an average of $27,203 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 292 religious education graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,278 and $24,114 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 10 colleges that offered a degree in religious education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great religious education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the religious education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 10 Best Value Colleges for Religious Education in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

1
Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School crest
Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Moody Bible Institute. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 29 degrees to qualified ’s religious ed students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School is $19,679 for Great Lakes Region Religious Ed students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Education at Moody Bible Institute

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Trinity International University - Illinois. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Trinity International University - Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Deerfield, Illinois. It awarded 39 ’s religious ed degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region religious ed students with aid list, TIU Illinois has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for TIU Illinois is $21,200 for Great Lakes Region Religious Ed students with aid.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Religious Education at TIU Illinois

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grace Christian University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Wyoming, Michigan, and it awarded 8 ’s religious ed degrees in 2020-2021.

Grace did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grace Christian University is $13,795 for great lakes region religious ed students with aid.

Read more about Religious Education at Grace Christian University

4
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Olivet Nazarene University landed the #4 spot on the list. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 9 ’s religious ed degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region religious ed students with aid list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $19,470 for great lakes region religious ed students with aid.

The undergrad 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 full report on Religious Education at Olivet Nazarene University

5

Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Franciscan University of Steubenville landed the #5 spot on the list. Franciscan U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Steubenville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Franciscan U also made our “Best Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Franciscan University of Steubenville is $23,415 for great lakes region religious ed students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Religious Education at Franciscan University of Steubenville

6

With a ranking of #6, Lincoln Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Lincoln, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s religious ed students in 2020-2021.

Lincoln Christian College and Seminary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,638 for Great Lakes Region Religious Ed students with aid per year to attend Lincoln Christian College and Seminary.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lincoln Christian College and Seminary Religious Education Report

7
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

Ashland University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ashland University is located in Ashland, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s religious ed degrees to qualified students.

Ashland also made our “Best Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Ashland University is $20,974 for Great Lakes Region Religious Ed students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Education at Ashland University

8

Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Marion, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religious ed degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

IWU also made our “Best Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global is $18,904 for Great Lakes Region Religious Ed students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Education at Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global

9
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified ’s religious ed students in 2020-2021.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,692 for Great Lakes Region Religious Ed students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Religious Education Report

10
Cornerstone crest
Cornerstone University
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Cornerstone University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religious Ed Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s religious ed students in 2020-2021.

Cornerstone not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornerstone is $20,397 for great lakes region religious ed students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 Religious Education at Cornerstone

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