Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Religious Studies Schools

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Religious Studies Schools

68 Colleges
$34,289 Avg Salary
$24,431 Avg Student Debt

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

#1

Duke University

Durham, NC

Our analysis found Duke University to be the best school for religious studies students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Duke University

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 fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

The average amount in student loans that religion majors at Jewish Theological Seminary of America take out is $19,625.

Read More…

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

The excellent programs at University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best religious studies schools in the United States. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Pennsylvania

#4

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Emory University is a great place for religious studies students. Emory is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Atlanta.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Emory University

Out of the 68 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Catholic University of America landed the # 5 spot on the list. CUA is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington.

The average amount in student loans that religion majors at CUA take out is $27,000.

Read More…

#6

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA

Boston College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for religious studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Read More…

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.

Read More…

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 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

#9

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN

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.

Read More…

With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on this year’s best schools for religious studies students. UW - Madison is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Madison.

Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

Honorable Mentions

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

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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.