by our College Data Analytics Team
[Religious Education](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/religious-education/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a religious education degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools to find where religious education graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The right religious education school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. To help, we created our Highest Paid Religious Education Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose religious education degrees pay off the most.
Learn more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Religious Education Graduates list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
If you want to know which schools send religious education graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Concordia University Seward tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying religious education schools in the United States. Located in the town of Seward, Concordia University Seward is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career religious education graduates from Concordia University Seward make a median of around $40,341 per year.
Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute Of Religion produces some of the highest-paid graduates in religious education, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of New York, Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute Of Religion is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, religious education degree recipients from Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute Of Religion typically earn about $82,473 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in religious education will find them at Olivet Nazarene University, which ranked #3. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bourbonnais. Students who complete the religious education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $44,789.
Dallas Theological Seminary came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying religious education schools. Set in the city of Dallas, Dallas Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution. Religious Education graduates of Dallas Theological Seminary earn a median of about $58,772 a year early in their careers.
Dallas Baptist University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying religious education schools. Dallas Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Dallas. After graduating, religious education degree recipients from Dallas Baptist University typically earn about $57,772 annually.
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Grand Canyon University earned the #6 position for religious education graduate earnings this year. Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit school located in the city of Phoenix. Religious Education graduates of Grand Canyon University earn a median of about $44,107 a year early in their careers.
Trinity International University Illinois placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for religious education. Trinity International University Illinois is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Deerfield. After graduating, religious education degree recipients from Trinity International University Illinois typically earn about $50,005 annually.
Franciscan University Of Steubenville came in at #8 for religious education graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Steubenville, Franciscan University Of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the religious education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,201.
Biola University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying religious education schools. Biola University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of La Mirada. Religious Education graduates of Biola University earn a median of about $41,982 a year early in their careers.
Benedictine College earned the #10 position for religious education graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Atchison, Benedictine College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the religious education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $35,133.
Liberty University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying religious education schools. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the religious education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $44,800.
Messiah College came in at #12 for religious education graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Mechanicsburg, Messiah College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the religious education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,655.
Grace Bible College placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for religious education. Located in the city of Wyoming, Grace Bible College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career religious education graduates from Grace Bible College make a median of around $33,308 per year.
Moody Bible Institute placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for religious education. Set in the city of Chicago, Moody Bible Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the religious education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $35,073.
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying religious education schools. Set in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the religious education program here go on to a median salary of roughly $39,784.
Crown College placed #16 among the highest-paying schools for religious education. Located in the rural area of Saint Bonifacius, Crown College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career religious education graduates from Crown College make a median of around $32,930 per year.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries religious education graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 16 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.