You should study religion if exploring religious ideas from various perspectives is interesting to you. Religion can help prepare you for a variety of careers and is also extremely beneficial if you want to go into any sort of career in ministering or religion.

Religious educator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a religious educator. Religious educators usually study elementary education, business, or psychology. 66% of religious educators hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,015 real religious educator resumes to see exactly what religious educator education sections show.

The most common colleges for religious educators are the Northern Illinois University and the Northern Illinois University.

There are also many online religious educator courses to help get the education required to be a religious educator.

What education do you need to become a religious educator?

What degree do you need to be a religious educator?

The most common degree for religious educators is bachelor's degree, with 66% of religious educators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a religious educator?

You should major in elementary education to become a religious educator. 13% of religious educators major in elementary education. Other common majors for a religious educator include business and psychology.

Elementary Education, 13%

Business, 11%

Psychology, 10%

Education, 9%

Other Majors, 57%

Most common colleges for religious educators

Religious educators often get their degrees at Northern Illinois University, University of Iowa, and University of Connecticut. Here are the most common colleges for religious educators in the US based on their resumes.

Religious educator common college	Percentages
Northern Illinois University	8.16%
University of Iowa	7.14%
University of Connecticut	6.12%
University of Illinois at Chicago	6.12%
Brigham Young University	6.12%

Show more common religious educator colleges

Best majors for religious educators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Elementary Education	12.9%
2	Business	11.2%
3	Psychology	9.7%
4	Education	8.8%
5	Liberal Arts	6.0%

Show more common religious educator majors

Best colleges for religious educators

The best colleges for religious educators are Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.

A religious educator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for religious educators. 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 religious educators.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

7. Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, OK • Private

In-state tuition

$28,258

Enrollment

1,808

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

20 best online courses for religious educators

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Yunnan, abbreviated as Yun and called Dian for short, is a multi-ethnic province which has historically been situated in the southwest frontier of China. Over time, the ethnic minorities evolved into splendid cultures, each with their own unique social life, religious beliefs and customs. The course is taught in English and provides an introduction to 25 ethnic minorities in Yunnan Province, namely the Yi, Bai, Hani, Dai, Zhuang, Miao, Hui, Lisu, Lahu, Wa, Naxi, Yao, Jingpo, Tibetan, Bulang,...

14. Aboriginal Worldviews and Education

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Top 10 most affordable universities for religious educators

The most affordable schools for religious educators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for religious educators 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 religious educators.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for religious educators

The hardest universities for religious educators to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for religious educators 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 religious educators 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

6. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for religious educators

The easiest schools for religious educators to get into are Wayland Baptist University, nyack college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a religious educator 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 religious educators.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

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. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

Average religious educator salary by education level

According to our data, religious educators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $76,278 annually. Religious educators with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $61,811.

Religious educator education level	Religious educator salary
Master's Degree	$76,278
Bachelor's Degree	$61,566
Some College/ Associate Degree	$61,811

Religious educator education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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