2026 Best Value Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Religious Education](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/religious-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 29 schools to find the best return on investment for religious education students.
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2026 Best Value Religious Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the religious education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Religious Education Schools
North Park University earned the #1 spot for value among religious education schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of Chicago, North Park University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,710. Typical student debt for religious education graduates is $27,360. Early-career religious education graduates make about $51,611. Set against $27,360 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Park University admits about 68% of applicants.
Trinity International University Illinois is a great value for students pursuing a degree in religious education, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Deerfield, Trinity International University Illinois is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,320. Typical student debt for religious education graduates is $32,934. Soon after graduation, religious education degree recipients from Trinity International University Illinois generally make around $31,903. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Trinity International University Illinois admits about 100% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in religious education will find it at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, which ranked #3. Located in the town of Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,193. Students borrow a median of $26,602 to complete the religious education program here. Early-career religious education graduates make about $53,377. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Franciscan University Of Steubenville came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value religious education schools. Franciscan University Of Steubenville is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Steubenville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,100. Students borrow a median of $26,980 to complete the religious education program here. Soon after graduation, religious education degree recipients from Franciscan University Of Steubenville generally make around $35,803. Set against $26,980 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Franciscan University Of Steubenville admits about 58% of applicants.
Moody Bible Institute is a great value for students pursuing a degree in religious education, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Moody Bible Institute is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,786. Typical student debt for religious education graduates is $14,000. Soon after graduation, religious education degree recipients from Moody Bible Institute generally make around $30,671. Set against $14,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Wheaton College Illinois came in at #6 for value in religious education this year. Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wheaton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,546. Typical student debt for religious education graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, religious education degree recipients from Wheaton College Illinois generally make around $37,880. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 87% 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 · 29 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.
