Majors
Best Colleges for Religion/Religious Studies, by Earnings
424 of the colleges we track award a bachelor's degree in Religion/Religious Studies, about 4,320 degrees a year. Across the 32 that report earnings, graduates make a median of $46,736 four years after finishing.
| Rank | College | State | Median earnings, 4 years out | Degrees a year | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wabash College | IN | $69,988 | 6 | 63.3% |
| 2 | Fordham University | NY | $61,877 | 15 | 59.3% |
| 3 | University of California-Davis | CA | $59,448 | 10 | 41.8% |
| 4 | Beth Medrash Govoha | NJ | $59,036 | 524 | |
| 5 | University of Virginia | VA | $58,324 | 30 | 16.8% |
| 6 | Arizona State University | AZ | $53,789 | 8 | 89.9% |
| 7 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | $52,716 | 16 | 15.3% |
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | WI | $52,659 | 2 | 90.7% |
| 9 | The Catholic University of America | DC | $52,638 | 8 | 82.8% |
| 10 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | NC | $52,012 | 7 | 79.6% |
| 11 | California State University-Northridge | CA | $51,235 | 8 | 93.5% |
| 12 | Baylor University | TX | $50,002 | 35 | 51.3% |
| 13 | Whitworth University | WA | $48,483 | 7 | 89.8% |
| 14 | Liberty University | VA | $47,991 | 609 | 99% |
| 15 | Saint Leo University | FL | $47,791 | 4 | 78.4% |
| 16 | California Baptist University | CA | $47,121 | 23 | 84.9% |
| 17 | Ohio Christian University | OH | $46,350 | 27 | 38% |
| 18 | Evangel University | MO | $46,205 | 9 | 71.6% |
| 19 | University of California-Santa Barbara | CA | $43,377 | 20 | 33% |
| 20 | Carson-Newman University | TN | $43,115 | 14 | 90.5% |
| 21 | University of Mobile | AL | $42,196 | 4 | 77.9% |
| 22 | Mississippi Christian University | MS | $40,506 | 6 | 29.1% |
| 23 | North Carolina Wesleyan University | NC | $38,717 | 2 | 80.2% |
| 24 | St Olaf College | MN | $37,335 | 13 | 48.3% |
| 25 | University of St Thomas | MN | $35,960 | 36 | 85.4% |
| 26 | Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel | NY | $29,579 | 403 | |
| 27 | Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz | NY | $24,179 | 122 | 87.4% |
| 28 | Yeshiva of Machzikai Hadas | NY | $20,640 | 92 | 70.1% |
| 29 | Talmudical Seminary of Bobov | NY | $20,163 | 78 | 97.9% |
| 30 | Yeshivath Viznitz | NY | $19,897 | 83 | |
| 31 | Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | NY | $19,093 | 89 | |
| 32 | United Talmudical Seminary | NY | $18,837 | 369 |
392 more colleges award this degree but have no earnings figure, usually because the program is small.
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Frequently asked questions
Which college has the highest-paid Religion/Religious Studies graduates?
Wabash College ($69,988), Fordham University ($61,877), University of California-Davis ($59,448), Beth Medrash Govoha ($59,036), University of Virginia ($58,324) report the highest median earnings four years after graduation.
How much do Religion/Religious Studies majors make?
The median across 32 colleges is $46,736 four years after graduation. By college it runs from $18,837 to $69,988.
Which colleges have the biggest Religion/Religious Studies programs?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in a year: Liberty University (609), Beth Medrash Govoha (524), Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel (403), United Talmudical Seminary (369), Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz (122).
Does a higher-earning program mean a better program?
Not on its own. Earnings reflect where graduates live, what jobs they take, and who enrolled in the first place, as well as the teaching. The figures cover only graduates who received federal financial aid, and small programs are left out, so a college missing from this list may still have a strong department.
Source: College Scorecard, Most Recent Data by Field of Study (U.S. Department of Education), 2026-06-10 release, federal program category "Religion/Religious Studies". Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal financial aid, working and not enrolled, four years after a bachelor's degree.
