Religious Education

Types of Degrees Religious Education Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many religious education graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	570
Doctor’s Degree	81
Graduate Certificate	36

What Religious Education Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to religious ed and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Religious Ed Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Skills for Religious Ed Majors

A major in religious ed prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

Abilities for Religious Ed Majors

Religious Ed majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Religious Education Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with religious ed:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Directors, Religious Activities and Education	7.1%	$40,810
Philosophy and Religion Professors	12.3%	$71,890

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Religious Education?

Roughly 55% of the graduates are women, and 45% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of religious ed majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	24
Black or African American	105
Hispanic or Latino	27
White	311
International Students	65
Other Races/Ethnicities	38

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Religious Ed, too. About 11.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• South Korea
• Canada
• Kenya
• Papua New Guinea
• China

How Much Do Religious Education Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of religious education students with a master’s degree is $37,007 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $35,897 (25th percentile) and $40,274 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to religious ed.

Salaries According to BLS

Religious Ed majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $46,980 to $82,420 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Religious Education

Some careers associated with religious ed require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for religious ed careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	3.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	42.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.3%
Master’s Degree	11.5%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.3%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.2%
Doctoral Degree	35.6%
Post-Doctoral Training	6.0%

Online Religious Education Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 143 schools offered some type of religious education program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	16	6
Bachelor’s Degree	10	3
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	66	18
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	14	3
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	4	1
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	2	0

Is a Degree in Religious Education Worth It?

The median salary for a religious ed grad is $46,980 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 18% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $141,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Religious Education

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to religious ed.

Major	Number of Grads
Theological & Ministerial Studies	12,534
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries	1,624
Biblical Studies	1,052
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other)	777
Missionary Studies	423
Sacred Music	167
Religious Institution Administration and Law	23

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By RichardF under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.