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BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Religious Education worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 16 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$267,452 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.

1630.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−99%Estimated return after 10 years
$45,165Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$45,165 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$45,165Typical earnings four years after completion
$43,413Average earnings five years after completion
$25,937Typical federal student debt
10thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
16Degrees awarded in 2024–25
13College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 4 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Religious Education

How much do Religious Education bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $45,165 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $25,937. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Religious Education?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $40,261 to $46,286 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Religious Education?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 2 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$35,131
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$45,165
Federal debt
$25,937
Programs in the comparison
16
13 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$57,871
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$55,572
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
6
6 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$40,261National median$45,16575th percentile$46,286
13 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$46,28675th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$25,937Median federal debt across programs that report it
1Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

Concordia University-Nebraska

$55,729 four years after completionSeward, NE · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

Moody Bible Institute

$14,000 among completer borrowersChicago, IL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Grand Canyon University

268 reported awards in 2024–25Phoenix, AZ · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

$52,314Observed year-4 earnings$36,770
$2,835Annual college-wide average net price$28,516
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

15 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 15 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Concordia University-Nebraska$55,7292Grace Christian University$52,3143Dallas Baptist University$50,6474Trinity International University-Illinois$46,2865College of Biblical Studies-Houston$45,8226Grand Canyon University$45,1657Wheaton College$42,6058Franciscan University of Steubenville$40,9879Biola University$40,26110University of the Cumberlands$39,211

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary$80,260 median wage20,460 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 1,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$49,140–$139,580 typical wage rangeDirectors, Religious Activities and Education$52,100 median wage22,160 jobs nationwide+3.3% projected growth through 2035 · 13,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$34,670–$98,310 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Bachelor's Degree

Bible/Biblical Studies

Year-4 earnings
$45,100
Federal debt
$25,000
48 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Theological and Ministerial Studies

Year-4 earnings
$47,518
Federal debt
$25,838
38 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries

Year-4 earnings
$44,603
Federal debt
$26,750
31 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology

Year-4 earnings
$40,561
Federal debt
$23,209
9 reporting programs →

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.