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2023 Best Value Colleges for Religion/Religious Studies (Income $0-$30k)

50 Ranked Colleges
3,626 Degrees Awarded
$7,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 3,626 people earned their degree in religion/religious studies, making the major the 189th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 50 colleges that offer a degree in religion/religious studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality religion/religious studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the religion/religious studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Religion/Religious Studies (Income $0-$30k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s religion degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Duke also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $371 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at Duke University

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

UPenn also took the #3 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $580 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Pennsylvania Religion/Religious Studies Report

3
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 15 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #4 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $3,176 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at Vanderbilt University

4
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emory University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 18 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Emory did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list. It costs about $8,538 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emory University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Religion/Religious Studies at Emory

5

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #5 spot on the list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 15 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list. It costs about $65 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UF.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at University of Florida

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 26 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Religion/Religious Studies Report

8

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Religion/Religious Studies Report

9
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also took the #7 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $12,476 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus

10
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,950 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at Florida State

11

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 7 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $5,194 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Religion/Religious Studies Report

12

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s religion degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe also took the #22 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $8,969 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 full report on Religion/Religious Studies at ASU - Tempe

13
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 7 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

Boston U also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $12,982 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at Boston University

14

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,858 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Religion/Religious Studies Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

UCSB also made our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,568 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Religion/Religious Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara

16

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 10 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $10,006 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of California - Davis Religion/Religious Studies Report

17

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $7,068 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Ohio State University - Main Campus

18

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin also took the #14 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $13,753 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

19

Florida International University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,196 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida International University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at Florida International University

20

California State University - Northridge came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,266 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Religion/Religious Studies Report

21

California State University - Fullerton came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 10 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,590 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Religion/Religious Studies Report

22

With a ranking of #22, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s religion degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UCR is $6,810 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Full University of California - Riverside Religion/Religious Studies Report

23
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 8 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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 Religion/Religious Studies at USC

24
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified ’s religion students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,987 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at University of Arizona

25

University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Religion Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 30 ’s religion degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UNC Charlotte is $12,751 for Religion students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

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