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2026 Best Value Religious Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

[Religious Studies](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/religious-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 60 schools to find the best return on investment for religious studies students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Religious Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

2026 Best Value Religious Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the religious studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Religious Studies Schools

1

Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX

$23,782 In-State Tuition & Fees

$30,204 Avg Student Debt

$51,838 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in religious studies, no school beat Wayland Baptist University this year. Wayland Baptist University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Plainview. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,782. Typical student debt for religious studies graduates is $30,204. Soon after graduation, religious studies degree recipients from Wayland Baptist University generally make around $51,930. That is a strong return on a $30,204 median debt. Wayland Baptist University admits about 56% of applicants.

2

Baylor University
Waco, TX

$58,100 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,612 Avg Student Debt

$65,793 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in religious studies will find it at Baylor University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Waco, Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $58,100 in tuition and fees. Religious Studies graduates carry a median of $25,612 in student loans. Early-career religious studies graduates make about $31,672. Set against $25,612 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 51%.

View All Religious Studies Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 60 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.