Find out the essential details every religious institution administration and law major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering religious institution administration and law programs.
Nationwide, religious institution administration and law is a widely-pursued major, with 57 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Religious Institution Administration and Law Schools ranking analyzes these 5 schools to determine the best overall colleges for religious institution administration and law students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of religious institution administration and law programs later in this article.
Studies in Religious Institution Administration and Law build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations religious institution administration and law graduates commonly enter.
The skill set built by a religious institution administration and law program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a religious institution administration and law major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several religious institution administration and law degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 11 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 7 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 39 |
People currently working in careers related to religious institution administration and law tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 29.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 28.6% |
| Master’s degree | 15.5% |
| First professional degree | 12.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 3.5% |
| Post-doctoral training | 3.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 2.0% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.9% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 1.8% |
| Some college courses | 1.0% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.8% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in religious institution administration and law careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in religious institution administration and law prepares you for many career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to religious institution administration and law.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to religious institution administration and law.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,031,835 | 3.7% |
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,017,747 | -2.9% |
| Financial Specialists, All Other | 691,110 | 6.5% |
| Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts | 471,150 | -1.2% |
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Financial Quantitative Analysts | 337,391 | 10.7% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
Salaries for religious institution administration and law graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers religious institution administration and law grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Financial Quantitative Analysts | $126,371 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
| Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts | $92,240 |
With 5 different religious institution administration and law programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased religious institution administration and law school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in religious institution administration and law, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Religious Institution Administration and Management | 57 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | 15,135 |
| Bible/Biblical Studies | 3,603 |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries | 3,230 |
| Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology | 1,249 |
| Theology and Religious Vocations, Other | 1,235 |
| Religious Education | 1,230 |
| Religious Music and Worship | 477 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.