2026 Best Value Religion/Religious Studies Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Religion/Religious Studies](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/religious-studies/religion-religious-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong religion/religious studies education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 57 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 The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the religion/religious studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Religion/Religious Studies Schools
For return on investment in religion/religious studies, no school beat Missouri State University Springfield this year. Set in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,502, while out-of-state students pay about $18,770. Typical student debt for religion/religious studies graduates is $26,349. Religion/religious Studies graduates of Missouri State University Springfield earn a median of $22,133 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,349 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Bethel University Minnesota came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value religion/religious studies schools. Located in the suburb of Saint Paul, Bethel University Minnesota is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $44,226. Students borrow a median of $25,639 to complete the religion/religious studies program here. Early-career religion/religious studies graduates make about $61,465. Set against $25,639 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Bethel University Minnesota admits about 88% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of St Thomas Minnesota earned it the #3 place for religion/religious studies. University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Paul. In-state tuition and fees average $54,398. Typical student debt for religion/religious studies graduates is $19,500. Religion/religious Studies graduates of University Of St Thomas Minnesota earn a median of $27,496 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 57 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
