by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, religious/sacred music was the 603rd most popular major nationwide with 473 degrees awarded. This represents a 1.7% reduction in religious music degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 481.
This year's Best Religious/Sacred Music Schools ranking compares 41 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom religious music rankings further below.
Religious/Sacred Music majors are found most commonly in careers in which teaching others how to do something is important. Required skills include giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times and talking to others to convey information effectively.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional religious music certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
There are many different religious music degree levels. You can get anything from a in religious/sacred music to the highest religious music degree, a . Religious/Sacred Music programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A doctor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to religious music, with approximately 55.6% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for religious music workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral Degree | 55.4% |
| Master’s Degree | 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 14.6% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 6.4% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 3.2% |
About 61.9% of workers in careers related to religious music obtain at least doctor's degrees. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in religious/sacred music have received.
This of course varies depending on which religious music career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your religious music degree? Religious/Sacred Music careers are expected to grow 7.7% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to religious/sacred music.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Music Directors and Composers | 79,100 | 5.7% |
| Philosophy and Religion Professors | 35,700 | 12.3% |
As you might expect, salaries for religious music graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for religious/sacred music graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers religious music grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Philosophy and Religion Professors | $82,420 |
| Music Directors and Composers | $59,790 |
With over 202 different religious music degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased religious music school rankings to help you with this.
Religious/Sacred Music is one of 2 different types of Sacred Music programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Worship Ministry | 69 |
| Religious Music and Worship, Other | 12 |
