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Religious Studies

Types of Degrees Religious Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Religious Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	34
Associate’s Degree	1,364
Bachelor’s Degree	5,573
Master’s Degree	2,065
Doctor’s Degree	211

What Religious Studies Majors Need to Know

Studies in Religious Studies develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Religious Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Religious Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Philosophy and Theology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Religious Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Religious Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Religious Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Religious Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Religious Studies graduates include:

• Associate Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Professor
• University Faculty Member
• College Faculty Member
• Humanities Professor
• College Professor
• Religion Professor
• Systematic Theology Professor
• Ethics Professor
• Divinity Professor
• Adjunct Faculty Member
• Eastern Philosophy Professor
• Old Testament Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Religious Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	69.2%
Master’s degree	19.4%
Post-doctoral training	9.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%
First professional degree	0.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Religious Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 74.7% of Religious Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,337	25.3%
Men	6,911	74.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Religious Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	7,578	81.9%
Asian	128	1.4%
Hispanic or Latino	348	3.8%
Black or African American	345	3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	10	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.1%
Two or More Races	144	1.6%
Race Unknown	398	4.3%
International Students	289	3.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Religious Studies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Religious Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$28,787
4 years	$35,631
5 years	$41,557

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $41,557 — roughly 44% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Religious Studies Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Religious Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	16	11
Bachelor’s	34	40
Master’s	41	21
Doctoral (Research)	2	4

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Religious Studies Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Religious Studies graduates earn a median of $35,631 four years after completion — about 6% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Philosophy and Religious Studies	38
Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other	38.99
PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES	38.00
Philosophy	38.01

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.