2026 Best Value Religion/Religious Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
[Religion/Religious Studies](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/religious-studies/religion-religious-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 100 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value religion/religious studies schools.
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2026 Best Value Religion/Religious Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in religion/religious studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Religion/Religious Studies Schools
Columbia University In The City Of New York tops our 2026 list of the best value religion/religious studies schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. Located in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Students borrow a median of $23,258 to complete the religion/religious studies program here. Early-career religion/religious studies graduates make about $86,770. Set against $23,258 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Columbia University In The City Of New York admits about 4% of applicants.
Elim Bible Institute And College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in religion/religious studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Lima, Elim Bible Institute And College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $9,678 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $11,998 to complete the religion/religious studies program here. Early-career religion/religious studies graduates make about $18,339. Elim Bible Institute And College admits about 100% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Catholic University Of America one of the best values for religion/religious studies. Located in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,378. Typical student debt for religion/religious studies graduates is $25,771. Soon after graduation, religion/religious studies degree recipients from Catholic University Of America generally make around $65,120. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Catholic University Of America admits about 83% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 100 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
