MAJORS · 2 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a religious studies degree worth it?
Part of Philosophy and Religious Studies — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, no — the mean lifetime ROI is −$296,314, by FREOPP’s own published number. The honest details matter.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
−$296,314
across 72 bachelor’s programs · 5,440 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
−$177K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
−$743K ⟷ +$203K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
61.8%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
38
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
−$274K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$122K
Questions
- Is a religious studies degree worth it?
- On average no — across 72 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Religious Studies is −$296,314 and the median is −$177,086. 61.8% 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 −$743,238 and +$203,056.
- How long until a religious studies degree pays off?
- Among Religious Studies programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 38 (FREOPP 2021). 61.8% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a religious studies major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Religious Studies graduates span −$743,238 to +$203,056 — a +$946K 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). “Religious Studies: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/religious-studies