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Rabbinical Studies

Types of Degrees Rabbinical Studies Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Rabbinical Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	145
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Rabbinical Studies Majors Need to Know

Programs in Rabbinical Studies build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Rabbinical Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Rabbinical Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Philosophy and Theology — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Rabbinical Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Rabbinical Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 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	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	3.8 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Rabbinical Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Gateway to Logic	Analytical or scientific software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
InteLext Past Masters	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Rabbinical Studies graduates include:

• Old Testament Professor
• Church Music Professor
• Theology Professor
• Instructor
• Systematic Theology Professor
• Philosophy Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Philosophy Specialist
• Pastoral Ministries Professor
• Jewish Educator
• Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Eastern Philosophy Professor
• Divinity Professor
• Philosophy Lecturer

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	71.5%
Master’s degree	14.2%
Post-doctoral training	12.1%
Bachelor’s degree	0.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%
Some college courses	0.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Rabbinical Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 65.5% of Rabbinical Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	51	34.5%
Men	97	65.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Rabbinical Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	130	87.8%
Hispanic or Latino	3	2.0%
Black or African American	1	0.7%
Race Unknown	9	6.1%
International Students	5	3.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Rabbinical Studies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Rabbinical Studies 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	$48,647
4 years	$53,283
5 years	$59,877

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,877 — roughly 23% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Rabbinical Studies Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Rabbinical Studies. 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
Master’s	1	0

^{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 Rabbinical Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Rabbinical Studies graduates earn a median of $53,283 four years after completion — roughly 40% 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
Theological and Ministerial Studies	39.06
Divinity/Ministry	39.0602
Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies	39.0604
Talmudic Studies	39.0606
Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other	39.0699
Theology/Theological Studies	39.0601
Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies	39.0706
Pastoral Studies/Counseling	39.0701
Bible/Biblical Studies	39.0201

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.