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Jewish Studies

Types of Degrees Jewish Studies Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	7
Associate’s Degree	544
Bachelor’s Degree	238
Master’s Degree	245
Doctor’s Degree	11

What Jewish Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Jewish 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 3.9 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Jewish Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Jewish Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Social media software	Web page creation and editing software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Jewish Studies graduates include:

• Humanities Professor
• College Professor
• Ethnic Studies Professor
• Ethnology Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Hawaiian Studies Lecturer
• Gender Studies Professor
• Asian Studies Professor
• Women’s Studies Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Ethnology Professor
• Professor
• Ethnic Origins Teacher
• Lecturer

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	60.5%
Master’s degree	31.0%
Post-doctoral training	4.0%
Post-master’s certificate	3.2%
First professional degree	1.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Jewish Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 61.3% of Jewish Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	641	61.3%
Men	404	38.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	833	79.7%
Asian	1	0.1%
Hispanic or Latino	19	1.8%
Black or African American	7	0.7%
Two or More Races	5	0.5%
Race Unknown	127	12.2%
International Students	53	5.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Jewish Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Jewish 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 Jewish Studies Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Jewish 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
Master’s	3	1

^{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 Jewish Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Jewish 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
Religion/Religious Studies	38.02
Buddhist Studies	38.0202
Catholic Studies	38.0208
Christian Studies	38.0203
Hindu Studies	38.0204
Islamic Studies	38.0205
Mormon Studies	38.0209
Religion/Religious Studies, Other	38.0299
Religion/Religious Studies	38.0201
Talmudic Studies	38.0207

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.