2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies in California
19
Ranked Colleges
59
Degrees Awarded
$35,500
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California” ranking.
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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 59 religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,735 and $51,649 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California”.
Top 19 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Religious Studies in California
Out of the 19 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Academy for Jewish Religion - California landed the #1 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s religion degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
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 Academy for Jewish Religion - California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont School of Theology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. Claremont School of Theology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 8 masters’s religion 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%. 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 Claremont School of Theology
Out of the 19 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Institute of Buddhist Studies landed the #3 spot on the list. Institute of Buddhist Studies is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 3 masters’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
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.
Full Institute of Buddhist Studies Religious Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of the West. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California. This small school is located in Rosemead, California, and it awarded 6 masters’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
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.
Full UWest Religious Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont Graduate University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California. Claremont Graduate University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 5 masters’s religion 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. 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%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Claremont Graduate University
Santa Clara University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 15 masters’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full SCU Religious Studies Report
With a ranking of #7, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 2 masters’s religion 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%.
Full Mount Saint Mary’s University Religious Studies Report
Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking, coming in at #8. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Religious Studies at Stanford
Loma Linda University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. Loma Linda University is located in Loma Linda, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 masters’s religion degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 Loma Linda University
Pepperdine University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. Malibu, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s religion degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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%.
Full Pepperdine Religious Studies Report
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 2 masters’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of California - Riverside
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Religious Studies Report
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified masters’s religion students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Davis ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified masters’s religion students 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at University of California - Davis
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 1 masters’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 UCLA
With a ranking of #16, California Graduate School of Theology did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. California Graduate School of Theology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Garden Grove, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Read more about Religious Studies at California Graduate School of Theology
La Sierra University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California ranking. La Sierra is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Religious Studies at La Sierra
Simpson University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Religion Major in California list. Simpson U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redding, California. It awarded 2 masters’s religion degrees in 2021-2022.
Read more about Religious Studies at Simpson University
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
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