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Rabbi education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a rabbi. Rabbis usually study religion, theology, or law. 61% of rabbis hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 426 real rabbi resumes to see exactly what rabbi education sections show.
The most common colleges for rabbis are the Yeshiva University and the Yeshiva University.
There are also many online rabbi courses to help get the education required to be a rabbi.
What education do you need to become a rabbi?
What degree do you need to be a rabbi?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 29%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a rabbi?
Most common colleges for rabbis
| Rabbi common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Yeshiva University | 13.24% |
| Jewish Theological Seminary of America | 10.29% |
| Rabbinical College of America | 8.82% |
| New York University | 7.35% |
| Ner Israel Rabbinical College | 4.41% |
Best majors for rabbis
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Religion | 19.5% |
| 2 | Theology | 11.7% |
| 3 | Law | 7.1% |
| 4 | Middle Eastern And Semitic Languages | 7.1% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.8% |
Best colleges for rabbis
The best colleges for rabbis are Emory University, Boston College, and Northwestern University.
A rabbi with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for rabbis. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become rabbis.
1. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
2. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
3. Saint Thomas University
Miami Gardens, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$31,830
Enrollment
986
4. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$52,687
Enrollment
9,392
5. Southeastern University
Lakeland, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$25,870
Enrollment
5,570
6. Gardner-Webb University
Boiling Springs, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$32,000
Enrollment
2,010
7. Indiana Wesleyan University
Marion, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$26,630
Enrollment
2,647
8. Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$25,598
Enrollment
2,189
9. Crown College
Saint Bonifacius, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$26,200
Enrollment
844
10. Abilene Christian University
Abilene, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$34,850
Enrollment
3,524
20 best online courses for rabbis
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Top 10 most affordable universities for rabbis
The most affordable schools for rabbis are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and luther rice college and seminary.
If the best universities for rabbis are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for rabbis.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Luther Rice College and Seminary
Lithonia, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,616
Cost of attendance
8,720
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for rabbis
The hardest universities for rabbis to get into are Emory University, Boston College, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for rabbis are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for rabbis based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
2. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for rabbis
The easiest schools for rabbis to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, nyack college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a rabbi without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for rabbis.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Hardin-Simmons University
Abilene, TX • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,085
Average rabbi salary by education level
| Rabbi education level | Rabbi salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $35,571 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,218 |
| Doctorate Degree | $36,097 |
Rabbi education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025