Religion/Religious Studies: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 51 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$228,551 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
91.9 yrsModeled economic break-even
−89%Modeled 10-year ROI
$47,791Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$47,791Median reported earnings · year 4
$42,764Average reported earnings · year 5
$25,000Median federal debt
16thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
51Reporting programs
45With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,315
- Federal debt
- $27,875
- Reporting programs
- 5
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $47,791
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Reporting programs
- 51
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $65,111
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 4
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $54,096
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $72,345
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 2
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $28,595
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$35,960National median$47,79175th percentile$53,789
45 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok$98,8322Yeshiva Shaarei Torah of Rockland$81,3493Jewish Theological Seminary of America$74,0604Ner Israel Rabbinical College$73,5675Wabash College$69,9886Faith International University$64,2357Fordham University$61,8778University of California, Davis$59,4489Beth Medrash Govoha$59,03610University of Virginia-Main Campus$58,324Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Philosophy and Religion Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1126 · 5 crosswalk linksArea, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1062 · 4 crosswalk linksNO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yeshivas Be'er YitzchokBachelor's Degree | Elizabeth, NJ | $98,832 | Not available | +83% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | Yeshiva Shaarei Torah of RocklandBachelor's Degree | Suffern, NY | $81,349 | Not available | +63% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | Jewish Theological Seminary of AmericaBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $74,060 | $16,750 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | Ner Israel Rabbinical CollegeBachelor's Degree | Pikesville, MD | $73,567 | Not available | +22% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | Wabash CollegeBachelor's Degree | Crawfordsville, IN | $69,988 | $27,000 | -10% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Faith International UniversityBachelor's Degree | Tacoma, WA | $64,235 | $17,813 | -29% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Fordham UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bronx, NY | $61,877 | $26,320 | -53% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | University of California, DavisBachelor's Degree | Davis, CA | $59,448 | Not available | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Beth Medrash GovohaBachelor's Degree | Lakewood, NJ | $59,036 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 10 | University of Virginia-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Charlottesville, VA | $58,324 | $18,267 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Cairn University-LanghorneBachelor's Degree | Langhorne, PA | $55,492 | $30,750 | -64% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $53,789 | $20,542 | -63% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $53,789 | $20,542 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 14 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillBachelor's Degree | Chapel Hill, NC | $52,716 | $12,550 | -66% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeBachelor's Degree | Milwaukee, WI | $52,659 | Not available | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | The Catholic University of AmericaBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $52,638 | Not available | -74% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | University of North Carolina at CharlotteBachelor's Degree | Charlotte, NC | $52,012 | $24,621 | -71% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | California State University, NorthridgeBachelor's Degree | Northridge, CA | $51,235 | $13,483 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Baylor UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waco, TX | $50,002 | $25,612 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Whitworth UniversityBachelor's Degree | Spokane, WA | $48,483 | $25,000 | -88% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | American Public University SystemBachelor's Degree | Charles Town, WV | $48,336 | $21,000 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Liberty UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lynchburg, VA | $47,991 | $36,495 | -90% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Saint Leo UniversityBachelor's Degree | Saint Leo, FL | $47,791 | $39,471 | -89% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | California Baptist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Riverside, CA | $47,121 | $24,474 | -93% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Ohio Christian UniversityBachelor's Degree | Circleville, OH | $46,350 | $37,000 | -95% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Evangel UniversityBachelor's Degree | Springfield, MO | $46,205 | $26,793 | -95% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | University of California, Santa BarbaraBachelor's Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | $43,377 | $15,873 | -107% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Carson-Newman UniversityBachelor's Degree | Jefferson City, TN | $43,115 | Not available | -107% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | University of MobileBachelor's Degree | Mobile, AL | $42,196 | $26,000 | -110% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Mississippi Christian UniversityBachelor's Degree | Clinton, MS | $40,506 | Not available | -115% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad West Coast Talmudical SeminaryBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $38,872 | Not available | -126% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | North Carolina Wesleyan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Rocky Mount, NC | $38,717 | Not available | -125% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | St Olaf CollegeBachelor's Degree | Northfield, MN | $37,335 | $25,000 | -128% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | University of St ThomasBachelor's Degree | Saint Paul, MN | $35,960 | $19,500 | -130% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | Uta Mesivta of Kiryas JoelBachelor's Degree | Monroe, NY | $29,579 | Not available | -178% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim LubavitzBachelor's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $24,179 | Not available | -178% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei ZionBachelor's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $23,329 | Not available | -200% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Mesivta Torah Vodaath Rabbinical SeminaryBachelor's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $21,332 | Not available | -219% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | Yeshiva of Machzikai HadasBachelor's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $20,640 | Not available | -190% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | Talmudical Seminary of BobovBachelor's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $20,163 | Not available | -230% | Negative payoff |
| 41 | Yeshivath ViznitzBachelor's Degree | Monsey, NY | $19,897 | Not available | -216% | Negative payoff |
| 42 | Bet Medrash Gadol Ateret TorahBachelor's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $19,783 | Not available | -214% | Negative payoff |
| 43 | Be'er Yaakov Talmudic SeminaryBachelor's Degree | Spring Valley, NY | $19,093 | Not available | -231% | Negative payoff |
| 44 | United Talmudical SeminaryBachelor's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $18,837 | Not available | -227% | Negative payoff |
| 45 | Yeshiva Gedolah Imrei Yosef D'spinkaBachelor's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $17,806 | Not available | -234% | Negative payoff |
| 46 | Beulah Heights UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | Not available | $56,499 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 47 | Northwest Nazarene UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nampa, ID | Not available | $27,650 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $29,580 |
| 48 | Missouri State University-SpringfieldBachelor's Degree | Springfield, MO | Not available | $26,349 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $17,613 |
| 49 | Rutgers University-CamdenBachelor's Degree | Camden, NJ | Not available | $26,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $18,745 |
| 50 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | Not available | $26,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $24,406 |
| 51 | Southern Wesleyan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Central, SC | Not available | $22,012 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $15,464 |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.