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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies in Illinois

21 Ranked Colleges
74 Degrees Awarded
$31,200 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Illinois” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Religious Studies is the 90th most popular major in the country with 9,039 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. 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 Illinois, there were 184 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,468 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 74 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,374 and $23,086 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in religious studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in religious studies.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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The religion school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois”.

Top 21 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies in Illinois

1
American Islamic College crest
American Islamic College
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 21 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, American Islamic College landed the #1 spot on the list. American Islamic College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s 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.

Read more about Religious Studies at American Islamic College

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hebrew Theological College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois. Hebrew Theological College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Skokie, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at HTC

3
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Principia College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois. Located in Elsah, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Principia

4
Greenville crest
Greenville University
Greenville, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Greenville University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois. Greenville is a small school located in Greenville, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Greenville

5
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Augustana College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Augustana College Religious Studies Report

6
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Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Lake Forest College

7
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Bradley University

8
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. This small school is located in Bloomington, Illinois, and it awarded 0 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%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Religious Studies at Illinois Wesleyan

9
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. North Central College is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Read more about Religious Studies at North Central

10
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 full report on Religious Studies at Olivet Nazarene University

11
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Northwestern

12
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Lewis is a medium-sized school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at Lewis University

13
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Aurora

14

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s religion degrees to qualified students.

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 freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Religious Studies Report

15
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #15, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul Religious Studies Report

16
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religious Studies at University of Chicago

17
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Elmhurst University is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 0 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read full report on Religious Studies at Elmhurst

17
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 full report on Religious Studies at Concordia University, Chicago

17
SXU crest
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, 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%.

Full SXU Religious Studies Report

17
McKendree crest
McKendree University
Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Lebanon, Illinois 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Full McKendree Religious Studies Report

17
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in Illinois ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s religion degrees to 0 students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Religious Studies at Loyola University Chicago

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