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Theology & Religious Vocations

Instructional programs that focus on the intramural study of theology and that prepare individuals for the professional practice of religious vocations.

Types of Degrees Theology & Religious Vocations Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Theology & Religious Vocations have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	758
Associate’s Degree	839
Bachelor’s Degree	6,690
Master’s Degree	15,326
Doctor’s Degree	2,473

What Theology & Religious Vocations Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Theology & Religious Vocations develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Theology & Religious Vocations graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Theology & Religious Vocations emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Philosophy and Theology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Theology & Religious Vocations program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Theology & Religious Vocations careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Theology & Religious Vocations graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Theology & Religious Vocations professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Theology & Religious Vocations graduates include:

• Religious Educator
• Adjunct Instructor
• University Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Adjunct Professor
• Professor
• College Professor
• Associate Professor
• Philosophy Assistant Professor
• Philosophy Instructor
• Philosophy Adjunct Professor
• Religion Professor
• Divinity Professor

What Can You Do With a Theology & Religious Vocations Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Theology & Religious Vocations commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Directors, Religious Activities and Education	-2.3%	$64,599	$53,067–$76,131
Religious Workers, All Other	-1.4%	$58,956	$47,118–$70,794
Counselors, All Other	4.5%	$81,766	$66,309–$97,222
Clergy	-3.3%	$49,854	$39,497–$60,211
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other	13.1%	$75,358	$58,637–$92,080

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Theology & Religious Vocations graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	52.9%
Bachelor’s degree	13.8%
Master’s degree	13.7%
Post-doctoral training	8.5%
Postsecondary certificate	3.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.9%
First professional degree	2.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%
Some college courses	0.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.5%
Less than a high school diploma	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Theology & Religious Vocations?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 40.2% women and 59.8% men among Theology & Religious Vocations graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	10,528	40.2%
Men	15,688	59.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Theology & Religious Vocations graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	15,150	57.8%
Asian	1,146	4.4%
Hispanic or Latino	2,160	8.2%
Black or African American	3,280	12.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	104	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	46	0.2%
Two or More Races	586	2.2%
Race Unknown	1,913	7.3%
International Students	1,831	7.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Theology & Religious Vocations Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Theology & Religious Vocations graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,327
4 years	$47,309
5 years	$53,004

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $53,004 — roughly 22% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Theology & Religious Vocations Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Theology & Religious Vocations. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	128	41
Bachelor’s	201	138
Master’s	363	206
Doctoral (Research)	36	35

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Theology & Religious Vocations Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Theology & Religious Vocations graduates earn a median of $47,309 four years after completion — roughly 24% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.