2023 Best Religious Studies Schools
Finding the Best Religious Studies School for You
In 2020-2021, 9,470 people earned a degree or certificate in religious studies, making the major the #86 most popular in the United States.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Religious Studies Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 68 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Religious Studies Schools in the United States
Check out the religion programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Religious Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Duke University the best school in the United States for religious studies students. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.
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Out of the 68 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Jewish Theological Seminary of America landed the # 2 spot on the list. Jewish Theological Seminary of America is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
The average amount in student loans that religion majors at Jewish Theological Seminary of America take out is $19,625.
Full Religious Studies at Jewish Theological Seminary of America Report
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Pennsylvania is a great place for religious studies students. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.
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The excellent programs at Emory University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best religious studies schools in the United States. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Atlanta.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Catholic University of America is a great place for religious studies students. CUA is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.
The average amount in student loans that religion majors at CUA take out is $27,000.
Full Religious Studies at Catholic University of America Report
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Boston College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Religious Studies Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for religious studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.
After completing their degree, religion graduates from UNC Chapel Hill carry an average student debtload of $18,700.
Full Religious Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Report
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Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #8 on this year’s Best Religious Studies Schools list. ASU - Skysong is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Scottsdale.
On average, religion graduates from ASU - Skysong take out $25,073 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Religious Studies at Arizona State University - Skysong Report
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DePauw University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for religious studies students. It came in at #9 on the list. DePauw is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Greencastle.
Full Religious Studies at DePauw University Report
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University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best religious studies programs. UW - Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison.
Full Religious Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Religious Studies Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN |
| 12 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC |
| 13 | University of St Thomas Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN |
Religious Studies by Region
View the Best Religious Studies Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Religious Studies Rankings
Religious Studies Related Rankings by Major
Religious Studies is one of 3 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Religion
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | 10,054 |
| Other Philosophy & Religious Studies | 285 |
| General Philosophy & Religious Studies | 184 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Sowlos.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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