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Religious Education

Types of Degrees Religious Education Majors Are Earning

Those studying Religious Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	21
Bachelor’s Degree	617
Master’s Degree	462
Doctor’s Degree	130

What Religious Education Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Philosophy and Theology — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Religious Education 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 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Religious Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Religious Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 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	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Religious Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Gateway to Logic	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Religious Education graduates include:

• Divinity Teacher
• Pastoral Ministries Professor
• Biblical Studies Professor
• Philosophy Faculty Member
• Philosophy Adjunct Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Philosophy Professor
• Educator
• Philosophy Instructor
• Metaphysics Teacher
• Church History Teacher
• Philosophy Assistant Professor
• Church Music Professor
• Old Testament Professor
• University Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	59.3%
Master’s degree	12.3%
Bachelor’s degree	10.6%
Post-doctoral training	10.0%
Postsecondary certificate	4.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%
Some college courses	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Religious Education?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 52.5% women and 47.5% men among Religious Education graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	646	52.5%
Men	584	47.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	755	61.4%
Asian	38	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	110	8.9%
Black or African American	167	13.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	31	2.5%
Race Unknown	82	6.7%
International Students	44	3.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Religious Education Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Religious Education 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	$36,773
4 years	$40,371
5 years	$45,701

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $45,701 — roughly 24% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Religious Education Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Religious Education. 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	6	3
Bachelor’s	15	10
Master’s	17	17
Doctoral (Research)	2	6

^{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 Religious Education Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Religious Education graduates earn a median of $40,371 four years after completion — roughly 6% 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.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Theology and Religious Vocations	39
Bible/Biblical Studies	39.02
Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology	39.03
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries	39.07
Religious Institution Administration and Law	39.08
Religious Music and Worship	39.05
Theological and Ministerial Studies	39.06
Theology and Religious Vocations, Other	39.99
THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS	39.00

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.