Religious Studies

Contains Stem Majors

Add Comparison
    Total Degrees​
    Awarded in 2024
    9,248
    declining 3.54%
    Average Wage
    $107,865
    growing 3.5%
    People in Workforce
    379,743
    growing 2.68%
    Average Employee Age
    44.9
    declining 0.101%

    About

    N/A N/A The most common degree awarded to students studying Religious Studies is a bachelors degree.

    Philosophy and Religious Studies

    Institutions

    Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Religious Studies and the types of students that study this field. Beth Medrash Govoha awards the most degrees in Religious Studies in the US, having also the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Religious Studies, followed by Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel.

    The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers Religious Studies programs are Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above institutions (612 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (8,303 completions).

    Institutions

    Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in Religious Studies (2024)
    1. Beth Medrash Govoha
      1,600 degrees awarded
    2. Liberty University
      632 degrees awarded
    3. Yeshiva University
      537 degrees awarded

    The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in Religious Studies, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (8,303 completions in 2024).

    The following chart shows the share of universities that offer Religious Studies programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Specialized Colleges

    Highest Concentration Institution
    1. Beth Medrash Govoha
      100%
    2. Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel
      100%
    3. United Talmudical Seminary
      100%

    Out of all institutions that offer Religious Studies programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, Beth Medrash Govoha has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Religious Studies, with 100%.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Degrees Awarded by County

    Counties with the Most Degrees Awarded in Religious Studies
    1. Ocean County, NJ
      2,116 degrees awarded
    2. Kings County, NY
      1,327 degrees awarded
    3. New York County, NY
      706 degrees awarded

    This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest number of degrees awarded in Religious Studies by year.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Employment

    Information on the businesses and industries that employ Philosophy and Religious Studies graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

    The average salary for Philosophy and Religious Studies majors is $107,865 and the most common occupations are Clergy, Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers, and Postsecondary teachers.

    The industry that employs the most Philosophy and Religious Studies majors is Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Pipeline transportation.

    Yearly Income for Common Jobs

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.
    $107,865
    Average Wage in Workforce
    ± $4,956
    3.5%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 6.37%

    The average salary for Philosophy and Religious Studies majors is $107,865 and the most common occupations are Clergy, Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers, and Postsecondary teachers.

    This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Philosophy and Religious Studies majors.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Highest Paying Locations

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.
    Highest Paying Pumas
    1. Hampden County (East)--Chicopee PUMA, MA
      $495,781
    2. Loudoun County (Northeast)--Sterling & Ashburn (Northeast/Ashburn Village) PUMA, VA
      $463,689
    3. Contra Costa County (West)--Walnut Creek (West), Lafayette & Orinda Cities PUMA, CA
      $400,584

    This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Philosophy and Religious Studies majors.

    Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Philosophy and Religious Studies majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Most Common

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.

    The most common occupations for Philosophy and Religious Studies majors, by number of employees, are Clergy, Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers, and Postsecondary teachers.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Most Specialized

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.

    Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Philosophy and Religious Studies majors working as Clergy, Judicial law clerks, and Religious workers, all other.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Highest Paid

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.

    The highest paid occupations by median income for Philosophy and Religious Studies majors are Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Credit authorizers, checkers, & clerks, and Heavy vehicle & mobile equipment service technicians & mechanics.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Occupations by Share

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.
    379,743
    2024 Workforce
    ± 15,111
    2.68%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 5.52%

    The number of Philosophy and Religious Studies graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 2.68%, from 369,821 in 2023 to 379,743 in 2024.

    The largest single share of Philosophy and Religious Studies graduates go on to work as Clergy (8.76%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Philosophy and Religious Studies by share of the total number of graduates.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Most Common

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.

    The most common industries that employ Philosophy and Religious Studies majors, by number of employees, are Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, Religious organizations, and Elementary & secondary schools.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Highest Paid

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.

    The highest paying industries of Philosophy and Religious Studies majors, by average wage, are Pipeline transportation, Aluminum production & processing, and Railroad rolling stock manufacturing.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Industries by Share

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.
    379,743
    2024 Workforce
    ± 15,111
    2.68%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 5.52%

    The number of Philosophy and Religious Studies graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 2.68%, from 369,821 in 2023 to 379,743 in 2024.

    The industry which employs the most Philosophy and Religious Studies graduates by share is Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, followed by Religious organizations. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Philosophy and Religious Studies.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Specialty Locations

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.
    PUMAS with a relatively high number of Philosophy and Religious Studies majors
    1. District of Columbia (West) PUMA, DC
      7.81
    2. Multnomah County--Portland City (Central East) PUMA, OR
      7.72
    3. District of Columbia (Northeast) PUMA, DC
      7.25

    This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Philosophy and Religious Studies majors.

    Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Philosophy and Religious Studies majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Diversity

    Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies in the United States.

    The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies is 44.9.

    The most common degree type these workers hold is a Bachelors Degree. Male employees are more likely to hold Philosophy and Religious Studies degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Philosophy and Religious Studies (7,578 students).

    Workforce Age

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.
    44.9
    Average Age in 2024
    ± 0.55 Years
    0.101%
    1 Year Change
    ± 1.75%

    This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies. The most common ages of employees with this major are 37 and 34 years old, which represent 3.32% and 3.2% of the population, respectively.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Degrees Awarded

    The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Religious Studies are Bachelors Degree, Associates Degree, and Masters Degree.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Workforce Degrees

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.

    The most common degree types held by the working population in Philosophy and Religious Studies are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Professional degree.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

    Male (74.7%)
    Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

    This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in Religious Studies.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

    Degrees
    Most Common Race or Ethnicity
    1. White
      7,578 degrees awarded in 2024
    2. Unknown
      398 degrees awarded in 2024
    3. Hispanic or Latino
      348 degrees awarded in 2024

    This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Religious Studies for each race & ethnicity.

    In 2024, White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Race & Ethnicity by Sex

    Degrees
    Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Sex Combination
    1. White Male
      3,710 degrees awarded
    2. White Female
      935 degrees awarded
    3. Unknown Male
      126 degrees awarded

    This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of Bachelors Degree recipients in Religious Studies.

    White Male students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and sex.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Global Diversity

    The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course Religious Studies is from the 2 Digit Course Philosophy and Religious Studies.
    Most Common Countries of Origin
    1. India
      4,936 degree recipients
    2. Mexico
      3,490 degree recipients
    3. Korea
      3,151 degree recipients
    High Relative Number of Students
    1. Other Europe, not specified
      5.32 times more than expected
    2. Uganda
      5.02 times more than expected
    3. Azerbaijan
      4.66 times more than expected

    There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Other Europe, not specified that hold Philosophy and Religious Studies degrees (5.32 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is India (4,936 degree recipients).

    View Data
    Save Image

    Skills

    Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Religious Studies field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Religious Studies majors need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Religious Studies majors need more than the average amount of Programming, Writing, and Reading Comprehension.

    These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for Religious Studies majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Programming is very distinctive for majors, but the Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Speaking are the three most important skills for people in the field.

    Radar Distribution

    View Data
    Save Image

    Bar Chart

    View Data
    Save Image