2023 Best Religious Studies Schools in California
Finding the Best Religious Studies School for You
In 2020-2021, 420 degrees and certificates were awarded to religious studies students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #137 most popular major in the state.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Religious Studies Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 10 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Religious Studies Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for religion majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Religious Studies Schools
Our analysis found University of California - Davis to be the best school for religious studies students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that religion majors at UC Davis take out is $13,588.
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chapman University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Religious Studies Schools in California list. Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Orange.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Chapman University
Request Information
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Santa Barbara is a great place for religious studies students. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, religion majors at UCSB accumulate an average of around $15,247 in student debt.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara
Request Information
Out of the 10 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the # 4 spot on the list. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Full Religious Studies at University of Southern California Report
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Religious Studies Schools in California list. Located in the city of Riverside, UCR is a public school with a very large student population.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of California - Riverside
Request Information
California State University - Northridge came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Religious Studies Schools in California ranking. CSUN is a very large public school located in the city of Northridge.
Religion majors at CSUN take out an average of $18,900 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Religious Studies at California State University - Northridge
Request Information
With a ranking of #7, San Francisco State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for religious studies students. SFSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
Request Information
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best religious studies programs. UC Santa Cruz is a large public school located in the city of Santa Cruz.
Full Religious Studies at University of California - Santa Cruz Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #9, California Baptist University did quite well on this year’s best schools for religious studies students. Located in the city of Riverside, Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Religion majors at Cal Baptist take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Religious Studies at California Baptist University
Request Information
California State University - Fullerton ranked #10 on this year’s Best Religious Studies Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Full Religious Studies at California State University - Fullerton Report
Request InformationBest Religious Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Religious Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 77 |
| Oregon | 27 |
| Hawaii | 20 |
More Religious Studies Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Religion
One of 3 majors within the area of study, religious studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related 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 10 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.