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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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Jewish Theological Seminary of America. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Religious Studies Schools list. Jewish Theological Seminary of America is a fairly 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.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Religious Studies Schools list. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Emory University is a great place for religious studies students. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Atlanta.
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The excellent programs at Catholic University of America helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best religious studies schools in the United States. 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.
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Boston College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best religious studies programs. 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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With a ranking of #7, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on this year’s best schools for religious studies students. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill.
After completing their degree, religion graduates from UNC Chapel Hill carry an average student debtload of $18,700.
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With a ranking of #8, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on this year’s best schools for religious studies students. ASU - Skysong is a very large public school located in the medium-sized 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 landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best religious studies programs. 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 ranked #10 on this year’s Best Religious Studies Schools list. UW - Madison is a very large public school located in the large city of Madison.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison
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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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