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Theology & Religious Vocations

Types of Degrees Theology & Religious Vocations Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Theology & Religious Vocations may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	758
Associate’s Degree	839
Bachelor’s Degree	6,690
Master’s Degree	15,326
Doctor’s Degree	2,473

What Theology & Religious Vocations Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Theology & Religious Vocations emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Theology & Religious Vocations graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Theology & Religious Vocations emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Philosophy and Theology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Theology & Religious Vocations program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Theology & Religious Vocations careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Theology & Religious Vocations graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Theology & Religious Vocations professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Theology & Religious Vocations graduates include:

• Religious Educator
• Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Associate Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Professor
• College Professor
• Philosophy Instructor
• Religious Studies Professor
• Philosophy Faculty Member
• Old Testament Professor
• Church Music Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Theology & Religious Vocations graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	52.9%
Bachelor’s degree	13.8%
Master’s degree	13.7%
Post-doctoral training	8.5%
Postsecondary certificate	3.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.9%
First professional degree	2.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%
Some college courses	0.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.5%
Less than a high school diploma	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Theology & Religious Vocations?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 40.2% women and 59.8% men among Theology & Religious Vocations graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	10,528	40.2%
Men	15,688	59.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Theology & Religious Vocations graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	15,150	57.8%
Asian	1,146	4.4%
Hispanic or Latino	2,160	8.2%
Black or African American	3,280	12.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	104	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	46	0.2%
Two or More Races	586	2.2%
Race Unknown	1,913	7.3%
International Students	1,831	7.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Theology & Religious Vocations Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Theology & Religious Vocations graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,327
4 years	$47,309
5 years	$53,004

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $53,004 — roughly 22% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Theology & Religious Vocations Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Theology & Religious Vocations. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	256	82
Bachelor’s	402	276
Master’s	726	412
Doctoral (Research)	72	70

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Theology & Religious Vocations Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Theology & Religious Vocations graduates earn a median of $47,309 four years after completion — roughly 24% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.