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Religious studies professor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a religious studies professor. Religious studies professors usually study theology, religion, or psychology. 49% of religious studies professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 95 real religious studies professor resumes to see exactly what religious studies professor education sections show.
The most common colleges for religious studies professors are the Northwestern University and the Northwestern University.
There are also many online religious studies professor courses to help get the education required to be a religious studies professor.
What education do you need to become a religious studies professor?
What degree do you need to be a religious studies professor?
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Master's, 30%
- Doctorate, 11%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a religious studies professor?
- Theology, 20%
- Religion, 13%
- Psychology, 8%
- Philosophy, 8%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for religious studies professors
| Religious studies professor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Northwestern University | 8.00% |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | 8.00% |
| University of Iowa | 8.00% |
| Queens College of the City University of New York | 8.00% |
| The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | 8.00% |
Best majors for religious studies professors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theology | 20.0% |
| 2 | Religion | 13.3% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.3% |
| 4 | Philosophy | 8.3% |
| 5 | English | 5.0% |
Best colleges for religious studies professors
The best colleges for religious studies professors are Harvard University, Yale University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A religious studies professor 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 studies professors. 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 studies professors.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
7. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for religious studies professors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for religious studies professors
The most affordable schools for religious studies professors are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for religious studies professors 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 studies professors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for religious studies professors
The hardest universities for religious studies professors to get into are Harvard University, Yale University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for religious studies professors 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 studies professors 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for religious studies professors
The easiest schools for religious studies professors to get into are Nyack College, mount saint mary's university, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a religious studies professor 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 studies professors.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
6. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
10. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
Average religious studies professor salary by education level
| Religious studies professor education level | Religious studies professor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $77,346 |
| Doctorate Degree | $113,051 |
Religious studies professor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025