Religious Education: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 17 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Religious Education pays
Career outlook for Religious Education graduates
The job market for the occupations Religious Education graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directors, religious activities and education | 138,900 | +2.1% | $54,840 | Bachelor's degree |
| Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary | 27,300 | +0.7% | $78,050 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Religious Education vs similar majors
How Religious Education stacks up against the closest fields in Theology & Religious Vocations on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Religious Education Theology & Religious Vocations · this major | Theological and Ministerial Studies | Theology and Religious Vocations, Other | Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 21 F | 35 D | 29 F | 21 F |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Break-even | Poor return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $47,024 | $60,227 | $56,863 | $45,219 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $35,838 | $48,242 | $46,800 | $36,143 |
| ROI vs cost | -75% | +75% | +38% | -97% |
| Typical debt | $28,193 | $41,317 | $38,724 | $26,378 |
| Colleges offering it | 17 | 132 | 14 | 38 |
Religious Education earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Religious Education
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trinity International University-Illinois Deerfield, IL | Associate's | $50,005 | $32,000 | +189% | Strong return |
| 2 | Dallas Baptist University Dallas, TX | Associate's | $58,392 | $20,500 | +108% | Strong return |
| 3 | Dallas Baptist University Dallas, TX | Certificate | $55,914 | — | -4% | Poor return |
| 4 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ | Certificate | $50,390 | $32,954 | -47% | Poor return |
| 5 | Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA | Associate's | $46,857 | $24,500 | -65% | Poor return |
| 6 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA | Certificate | $44,800 | $48,041 | -102% | Poor return |
| 7 | Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL | Associate's | $44,789 | — | -105% | Poor return |
| 8 | Nelson University Waxahachie, TX | Associate's | $43,492 | — | -135% | Poor return |
| 9 | Biola University La Mirada, CA | Associate's | $41,982 | $25,437 | -142% | Poor return |
| 10 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ | Associate's | $42,169 | $30,731 | -150% | Poor return |
| 11 | Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA | Associate's | $41,655 | $26,000 | -154% | Poor return |
| 12 | Franciscan University of Steubenville Steubenville, OH | Associate's | $41,201 | $25,000 | -168% | Poor return |
| 13 | Concordia University-Nebraska Seward, NE | Associate's | $40,341 | $28,500 | -180% | Poor return |
| 14 | Moody Bible Institute Chicago, IL | Associate's | $35,073 | $12,647 | -302% | Poor return |
| 15 | College of Biblical Studies-Houston Houston, TX | Associate's | $29,863 | — | -11,363% | Poor return |
| 16 | Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion New York, NY | Certificate | $82,473 | — | — | Not enough data |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.