2023 Best Value Religious Studies Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Religious Studies Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 68 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best value experiences for religion students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 15% Best Religious Studies Schools
Our analysis found Arizona State University - Skysong to be the best value school for religious studies students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public school located in the city of Scottsdale.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASU - Skysong are $13,092 per year. On average, religion graduates from ASU - Skysong take out $25,073 in student loans while working on their degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ASU - Skysong also is in the top 15% of our Best Religious Studies Schools ranking.
Full Religious Studies at Arizona State University - Skysong Report
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The excellent programs at Liberty University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best religious studies schools in the United States. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Liberty University undergraduate students pay an average of $16,160 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that religion majors at Liberty University take out is $33,865. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $330.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Liberty University
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Out of the 68 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the # 3 spot on the list. UNC Charlotte is a very large public school located in the city of Charlotte.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UNC Charlotte are $20,622 a year. While working on their degree, religion majors at UNC Charlotte accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Full Religious Studies at University of North Carolina at Charlotte Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Trinity International University - Illinois. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Religious Studies Schools list. TIU Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Deerfield.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at TIU Illinois are $33,298 a year.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Jewish Theological Seminary of America is a great value for religious studies students. Jewish Theological Seminary of America is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Jewish Theological Seminary of America are $66,064 a year. The average amount in student loans that religion majors at Jewish Theological Seminary of America take out is $19,625.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Jewish Theological Seminary of America
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University of Scranton landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value religious studies programs. Located in the small city of Scranton, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
University of Scranton undergraduate students pay an average of $48,462 in tuition and fees each year.
University of Scranton excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Religious Studies Schools list.
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University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for religious studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. UWM is a very large public school located in the city of Milwaukee.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UWM are $21,475 a year. The average amount in student loans that religion majors at UWM take out is $27,000.
Full Religious Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Report
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With a ranking of #8, Florida State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for religious studies students. Located in the medium-sized city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public college with a very large student population.
Florida State undergraduate students pay an average of $21,683 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Religious Studies at Florida State University Report
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Emory University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Religious Studies Schools list. Emory is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Atlanta.
Emory undergraduate students pay an average of $55,468 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Emory also is in the top 5% of our Best Religious Studies Schools ranking.
Full Religious Studies at Emory University Report
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University of Pennsylvania ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Religious Studies Schools list. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UPenn are $61,710 per year.
UPenn excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 1% of all schools on our Best Religious Studies Schools list.
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Saint Leo University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religious Studies Schools ranking. St. Leo University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Leo.
St. Leo University undergraduate students pay an average of $26,050 in tuition and fees each year. On average, religion graduates from St. Leo University take out $32,014 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Saint Leo University
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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 Value Religious Studies Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | California State University - Northridge | Northridge, CA |
| 13 | Duke University | Durham, NC |
Religious Studies by Region
View the Best Value 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
Majors Related to Religion
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.
- 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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