by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2021-2022, 9,039 people earned their degree in religious studies, making the major the 90th most popular in the United States. In , religious studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $34,289 and had an average of $30,539 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 338 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,978 and $76,773 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 244 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,904 and $19,503 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California” ranking analyzed 52 colleges that offered a degree in religious studies. That schools that top this list have a program in religious studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California”.
Out of the 52 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Graduate School of Theology landed the #1 spot on the list. California Graduate School of Theology is a small school located in Garden Grove, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
Read more about Religious Studies at California Graduate School of Theology
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Jewish University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 2 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanguard University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California. Vanguard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Costa Mesa, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Westmont College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. Westmont College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Simpson University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California. Simpson U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Redding, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The Master’s University and Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. The Master’s University and Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Clarita, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at The Master’s University
Pomona College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. Pomona is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
California Baptist University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 23 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Point Loma Nazarene University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. This small school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Point Loma Nazarene University Religious Studies Report
La Sierra University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. La Sierra is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Harvey Mudd College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. Harvey Mudd College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Harvey Mudd College
Occidental College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
University of Redlands did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking, coming in at #14. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 10 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Pepperdine University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. Pepperdine is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Malibu, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #16, Scripps College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. Scripps is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Bakersfield came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Bakersfield Religious Studies Report
California State University - Chico landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Humboldt State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 6 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Religious Studies at Humboldt State University
Claremont McKenna College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. Claremont McKenna is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #21, Whittier College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. This small school is located in Whittier, California, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Fresno Pacific University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. Fresno, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Religious Studies at Fresno Pacific University
University of San Diego came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of San Diego
With a ranking of #24, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. Mount Saint Mary’s University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
