by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 the Far Western US region, there were 453 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,282 and $55,280 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking, we looked at 94 colleges that offer a degree in religious studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their religious studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region”.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Graduate School of Theology. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region. California Graduate School of Theology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Garden Grove, California. It awarded 3 ’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
Full California Graduate School of Theology Religious Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pacific Rim Christian University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region list. Pacific Rim Christian University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii. It awarded 17 ’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Pacific Rim Christian University Religious Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont School of Theology. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region. Claremont School of Theology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Claremont School of Theology
Out of the 94 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Academy for Jewish Religion - California landed the #4 spot on the list. Academy for Jewish Religion - California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Academy for Jewish Religion - California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Faith International University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region list. Faith is located in Tacoma, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 18 ’s religion degrees to qualified 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 more about Religious Studies at Faith International University
Institute of Buddhist Studies came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Institute of Buddhist Studies is a private not-for-profit institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Institute of Buddhist Studies
University of the West ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of the West is located in Rosemead, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
American Jewish University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 0 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Vanguard University of Southern California came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Vanguard is located in Costa Mesa, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 18 ’s religion degrees to qualified 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 Vanguard University of Southern California Religious Studies Report
Westmont College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 8 students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 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%.
Claremont Graduate University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Reed College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Reed College is a small school located in Portland, Oregon that handed out 7 ’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Whitworth University - Adult Degree Programs did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #13. Spokane, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Whitworth University - Adult Degree Programs Religious Studies Report
Whitworth University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region list. Whitworth University is a small school located in Spokane, Washington that handed out 12 ’s religion 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%.
Simpson University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Redding, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2021-2022.
The Master’s University and Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #16. The Master’s University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clarita, California. It awarded 1 ’s religion 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
With a ranking of #17, Pacific Lutheran University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Tacoma, Washington, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Pomona College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 2 ’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
With a ranking of #19, University of Puget Sound did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region list. Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tacoma, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of Puget Sound
With a ranking of #20, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region list. California Baptist University is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 23 ’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%.
Read more about Religious Studies at California Baptist University
Point Loma Nazarene University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Point Loma Nazarene University is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 7 ’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Point Loma Nazarene University Religious Studies Report
Santa Clara University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 19 ’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.
With a ranking of #23, Warner Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region list. Portland, Oregon is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 1 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
La Sierra University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region list. La Sierra is a small school located in Riverside, California that handed out 3 ’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
With a ranking of #25, Chaminade University of Honolulu did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Religion Major in the Far Western US Region list. Chaminade University of Honolulu is located in Honolulu, Hawaii and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Religious Studies at Chaminade University of Honolulu
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