Religious Education

Types of Degrees Religious Education Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many religious education graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	708
Master’s Degree	570
Doctor’s Degree	81
Graduate Certificate	36
Associate Degree	18
Basic Certificate	4

What Religious Education Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to religious ed were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Religious Ed Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in religious ed should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Skills for Religious Ed Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to religious ed:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

Abilities for Religious Ed Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a religious ed student include the following:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Religious Education Major?

People with a religious ed degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Directors, Religious Activities and Education	7.1%	$40,810
Philosophy and Religion Professors	12.3%	$71,890

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Education?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 708 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in religious education in 2021, making it rank #183 in popularity. According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 54% of the graduates are women, and 46% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of religious ed majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	17
Black or African American	71
Hispanic or Latino	61
White	474
International Students	9
Other Races/Ethnicities	76

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Religious Ed, too. About 1.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• South Korea
• Canada
• Kenya
• Papua New Guinea
• China

How Much Do Religious Education Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that religious education students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $28,864 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $25,483 (25th percentile) and $31,134 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to religious ed.

Salaries According to BLS

Religious Ed majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $46,980 to $82,420 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Religious Education

Some degrees associated with religious ed may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to religious ed have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	3.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	42.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.3%
Master’s Degree	11.5%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.3%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.2%
Doctoral Degree	35.6%
Post-Doctoral Training	6.0%

Online Religious Education Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 143 schools offered some type of religious education program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	16	6
Bachelor’s Degree	10	3
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	66	18
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	14	3
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	4	1
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	2	0

Is a Degree in Religious Education Worth It?

The median salary for a religious ed grad is $46,980 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 18% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $141,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Religious Education

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to religious ed.

Major	Number of Grads
Theological & Ministerial Studies	15,832
Biblical Studies	4,119
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries	3,116
Missionary Studies	1,220
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other)	1,166
Sacred Music	554
Religious Institution Administration and Law	35

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By RichardF under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.