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Religious instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a religious instructor. Religious instructors usually study theology, psychology, or religion. 63% of religious instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 87 real religious instructor resumes to see exactly what religious instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for religious instructors are the Brigham Young University and the Brigham Young University.
There are also many online religious instructor courses to help get the education required to be a religious instructor.
What education do you need to become a religious instructor?
What degree do you need to be a religious instructor?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a religious instructor?
- Theology, 19%
- Psychology, 14%
- Religion, 8%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for religious instructors
| Religious instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Brigham Young University | 15.38% |
| Mercy College | 7.69% |
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | 7.69% |
| Queens College of the City University of New York | 7.69% |
| University of Dayton | 3.85% |
Best majors for religious instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theology | 18.6% |
| 2 | Psychology | 13.6% |
| 3 | Religion | 8.5% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 6.8% |
| 5 | Mathematics | 6.8% |
Best colleges for religious instructors
The best colleges for religious instructors are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A religious instructor 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 instructors. 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 instructors.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
20 best online courses for religious instructors
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13. Critical Issues in Urban Education
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Top 10 most affordable universities for religious instructors
The most affordable schools for religious instructors are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for religious instructors 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 instructors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for religious instructors
The hardest universities for religious instructors to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for religious instructors 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 instructors 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for religious instructors
The easiest schools for religious instructors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, bluefield college, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a religious instructor 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 instructors.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average religious instructor salary by education level
| Religious instructor education level | Religious instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,709 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,710 |
Religious instructor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025