Theology

Contains Stem Majors

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Total Degrees
Awarded in 2020

26,778

declining 16.8%

Median In-State
Public Tuition

$8,073

declining 24.5%

Median Out-of-State
Private Tuition

$25,430

growing 8.2%

Average Wage

$56,058

growing 5.25%

People in Workforce

330,393

growing 3.08%

Average Employee Age

47.8

growing 0.465%

About

The locations with the highest concentration of Theology degree recipients are Lynchburg, VA, Chicago, IL, and New York, NY. The locations with a relatively high number of Theology degree recipients are Palmer, AK, El Dorado Hills, CA, and Mundelein, IL. The most common degree awarded to students studying Theology is a masters degree.

Photo by Lloyd Morgan

Institutions

Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Theology and the types of students that study this field. Liberty University awards the most degrees in Theology in the US, but Associated Beth Rivkah Schools and Word of Life Bible Institute have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Theology.

Tuition costs for Theology majors are, on average, $8,073 for in-state public colleges, and $25,430 for out of state private colleges.

The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers Theology programs are Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above institutions (613 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (25,809 completions).

Institutions

Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in Theology

The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in Theology, is Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above (25,809 completions).

The following chart shows the share of universities that offer Theology programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$8,073

Median In-State Public

$25,430

Median Out of State Private

Liberty University has the most Theology degree recipients, with 2,079 degrees awarded in 2020.

The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in Theology.

Specialized Colleges

Highest Concentration Institution

Out of all institutions that offer Theology programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, Associated Beth Rivkah Schools has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Theology, with 100%.

Degrees Awarded by County

Counties with the Most Degrees Awarded in Theology

This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest number of degrees awarded in Theology by year.

Growth in Awarded Degrees

Counties with the Fastest Growing Number of Degrees Awarded

This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest growth in degrees awarded for Theology.

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Theology graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

The average salary for Theology majors is $56,058 and the most common occupations are Clergy, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

The industry that employs the most Theology majors is Religious organizations, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments.

Wages

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

$56,058

Average Wage in Workforce

± $2,533

5.25%

1 Year Growth

± 5.8%

The average salary for Theology majors is $56,058 and the most common occupations are Clergy, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Theology majors.

Highest Paying Locations

Highest Paying Pumas

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Theology majors.

Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Theology majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

Occupations

Most Common

The most common occupations Theology majors, by number of employees, are Clergy, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

Most Specialized

Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Theology majors working as Clergy, Directors, religious activities & education, and Religious workers, all other.

Highest Paid

The highest paid occupations by median income for Theology majors are Physicians, Aircraft pilots & flight engineers, and Sales managers.

Occupations by Share

330,393

2019 Workforce

± 14,097

3.08%

1 Year Growth

± 5.9%

The number of Theology graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 3.08%, from 320,536 in 2018 to 330,393 in 2019.

The largest single share of Theology graduates go on to work as Clergy (29.1%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Theology by share of the total number of graduates.

Industries

Most Common

The most common industries that employ Theology majors, by number of employees, are Religious organizations, Elementary & secondary schools, and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges.

Highest Paid

The highest paying industries of Theology majors, by average wage, are Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments, Nail salons & other personal care services, and Lessors of real estate, and offices of real estate agents and brokers.

Industries by Share

330,393

2019 Workforce

± 14,097

3.08%

1 Year Growth

± 5.9%

The number of Theology graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 3.08%, from 320,536 in 2018 to 330,393 in 2019.

The industry which employs the most Theology graduates by share is Religious organizations, followed by Elementary & secondary schools. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Theology.

Specialty Locations

PUMAS with a relatively high number of Theology majors

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Theology majors.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Theology in the United States.

The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Theology is 47.8.

The most common degree type these workers hold is a Masters Degree. Male employees are more likely to hold Theology degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Theology (16,115 students).

Workforce Age

47.8

Average Age in 2019

± 0.612 Years

0.465%

1 Year Change

± 1.81%

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Theology. The most common ages of employees with this major are 60 and 58 years old, which represent 2.94% and 2.66% of the population, respectively.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Theology are Masters Degree, Bachelors Degree, and Associates Degree.

Workforce Degrees

The most common degree types held by the working population in Theology are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Doctorate degree.

Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

Male (61.3%)

Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in Theology.

Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
16,115 degrees awarded
Black or African American
3,199 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
1,950 degrees awarded

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Theology for each race & ethnicity. White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Sex Combination

White Male
4,975 degrees awarded
White Female
2,615 degrees awarded
Black or African American Male
923 degrees awarded

This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of Masters Degree recipients in Theology. White Male students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and sex.

Global Diversity

Most Common Countries of Origin

Korea
7,242 degree recipients
Canada
2,601 degree recipients
Philippines
2,444 degree recipients

High Relative Number of Students

Korea
7.74 times more than expected
Netherlands
7.58 times more than expected
Indonesia
7.08 times more than expected

There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Korea that hold Theology degrees (7.74 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is Korea (7,242 degree recipients).

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Theology field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Theology majors need many skills, but most especially Active Listening. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Theology majors need more than the average amount of Coordination, Instructing, and Operations Analysis.

These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for Theology majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Coordination is very distinctive for majors, but the Active Listening, Speaking, and Critical Thinking are the three most important skills for people in the field.

Radar Distribution

Bar Chart

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