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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religion/Religious Studies in California (With Aid)

12 Ranked Colleges
223 Degrees Awarded
$16,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Religion/Religious Studies is the 173rd most popular major in the country with 3,832 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 298 religion/religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 223 religion/religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 12 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the religion/religious studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to 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 a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Religion/Religious Studies in California (With Aid)

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree religion students with aid list, CSULB has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full CSULB Religion/Religious Studies Report

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students with aid.

The low 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%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at California State University - Northridge

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at UCLA

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree religion students with aid per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 89%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Religion/Religious Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree religion students with aid list, UC Irvine has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low 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%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at University of California - Irvine

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree religion students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at UCR

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students with aid.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Religion/Religious Studies at University of California - Davis

#8

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 29 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students with aid.

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 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 Religion/Religious Studies at UCSB

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s religion degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree religion students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 89%.

Read more about Religion/Religious Studies at San Diego State University

#8 in overall quality

Vanguard University of Southern California ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Vanguard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Costa Mesa, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanguard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanguard is $20,051 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanguard University of Southern California Religion/Religious Studies Report

#11

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#3 in overall quality

Westmont College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s religion students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree religion students with aid list, Westmont has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $31,145 for California Bachelor’s Degree Religion students with aid per year to attend Westmont College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Westmont College Religion/Religious Studies Report

#12

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Religion Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree religion students with aid per year to attend USC.

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 student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full USC Religion/Religious Studies Report

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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

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees 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

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Sowlos.

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