MAJORS · 9 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a biblical studies degree worth it?
Part of Philosophy and Religious Studies — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, no — the mean lifetime ROI is −$91,526, by FREOPP’s own published number. The honest details matter.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
−$91,526
across 52 bachelor’s programs · 3,863 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
−$102K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
−$229K ⟷ +$15K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
68.9%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
43
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
−$115K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$123K
Questions
- Is a biblical studies degree worth it?
- On average no — across 52 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Biblical Studies is −$91,526 and the median is −$101,931. 68.9% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between −$229,034 and +$14,987.
- How long until a biblical studies degree pays off?
- Among Biblical Studies programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 43 (FREOPP 2021). 68.9% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a biblical studies major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Biblical Studies graduates span −$229,034 to +$14,987 — a +$244K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Biblical Studies: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/biblical-studies