undergradly.
Major · Philosophy & Religious Studies

Texts, history, and identity: Jewish/Judaic Studies

Jewish/Judaic Studies examines the religion, literature, languages, and history of the Jewish people from biblical antiquity through modern Israel and the Diaspora. The field is small in federal data, with 748 completions across 79 institutions, and most students treat the bachelor’s as preparation for graduate study, seminary, or a paired second major.

Schools offering
79
Annual completions
748
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$46k

About this major

Jewish/Judaic Studies examines the religion, culture, intellectual history, and languages of the Jewish people from biblical antiquity through modern Israel and the Diaspora. The CIP definition spans sacred texts and law, Jewish philosophy and life, Yiddish and Sephardic minority cultures, anti-Semitism and the Shoah, Zionism, and modern Jewish thought. Coursework typically combines Hebrew Bible and rabbinic literature with seminars on medieval and modern Jewish history, and most programs require sustained study of Hebrew, with Yiddish or Aramaic available at stronger departments.

The major rewards students who enjoy close reading, comparative historical analysis, and the slow work of learning a language well enough to read primary sources. Students who like ambiguity in interpretation tend to do better than those looking for a single right answer. Many in this major double-major or pair the degree with History, Political Science, English, or pre-law tracks, since the analytic skills travel across the humanities and into professional school.

The field is small in federal data: 748 total completions across 79 institutions, with Yeshiva University reporting 521 of them. That concentration reflects administrative grouping as much as enrollment reality, since many universities classify Jewish Studies students inside broader Religion or Near Eastern Studies degrees. Career destinations named in federal data point upward to academia, with postsecondary area and ethnic studies teachers earning a median of $84,290 and requiring a doctorate. Off-data destinations include Jewish day schools, federations, Hillel, museums and archives, and advocacy and publishing organizations.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary $84k +2.4% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$46k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$49k

Bachelor's

$46k

Who this major is for

This major fits students who already enjoy close textual analysis and want to commit to learning Hebrew well enough to read primary sources, and who are drawn to the way Jewish history, law, and literature inform one another. Students with an early interest in graduate school, seminary, or pre-law tend to make the most of the degree, since the named academic destination in federal data, postsecondary teaching, requires a doctorate and projects only 2.4 percent job growth. The major also suits students planning to double-major, given that pairing with History, Political Science, or English broadens career range without diluting the focus.

Reconsider this route if your goal is a defined entry-level job straight out of undergrad, since the bachelor’s rarely points to one. Students who dislike sustained language study should look elsewhere, because Hebrew is unavoidable and Yiddish or Aramaic often appear too. Anyone hoping for a large peer cohort should know the field reports just 748 completions nationally, with Yeshiva University holding 521 of them, so most programs run small.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Jewish/Judaic Studies

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Yeshiva University New York, NY 497 24 521
Gratz College Melrose Park, PA 0 41 41
Jewish Theological Seminary of America New York, NY 0 37 37
Women's Institute of Torah Seminary and College Baltimore, MD 0 33 33
Elyon College Brooklyn, NY 22 0 22
Seminary Bnos Chaim Lakewood, NJ 19 0 19
Hebrew Theological College Skokie, IL 0 16 16
Mosdos Yaakov V'Yisroel Lakewood, NJ 6 9 15
Touro University New York, NY 0 10 10
Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA 0 3 3
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Talmudic Studies

3,687 completions/yr

Religion/Religious Studies

1,602 completions/yr

Christian Studies

309 completions/yr

Religion/Religious Studies, Other

31 completions/yr

Islamic Studies

3 completions/yr

Catholic Studies

2 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Jewish/Judaic Studies majors actually study?
Coursework spans the Hebrew Bible and rabbinic literature, medieval and modern Jewish thought, Jewish history from antiquity through the Holocaust and the founding of Israel, and the languages that carry the tradition. Most programs require Hebrew, and many add Yiddish, Aramaic, or Ladino depending on faculty strength. Students typically write seminar papers using primary sources in translation, and advanced students work directly in the original languages.
Do I need to be Jewish or already speak Hebrew to enroll?
No. Programs draw from Jewish and non-Jewish students alike, and most universities teach Hebrew from scratch starting in the first year. Yeshiva University and Jewish Theological Seminary serve denominationally aligned students, but secular programs at schools such as Tulane University admit anyone with academic interest in the field.
What jobs do graduates actually land?
The bachelor’s alone rarely points to a single defined career, which is why most graduates either continue to graduate school or pivot the degree into adjacent fields. Common destinations include Jewish day schools, Hillel and Chabad campus organizations, federations, museums and archives such as YIVO or Holocaust memorials, advocacy groups, and Jewish publishing. The one BLS-tracked occupation tied directly to the field, postsecondary area and ethnic studies teachers, earns a median wage of about $84,290 but requires a doctorate.
Is the major only useful if I’m headed to rabbinical school or a PhD?
Graduate school is one strong outcome, and the data reflects it: the named academic occupation requires a doctoral degree and projects only 2.4 percent job growth over the decade. That said, students often combine the major with History, Political Science, English, or pre-law tracks and use the analytic and language skills in nonprofit, journalism, or legal careers. The field rewards students who plan their post-graduation path early.
How does this differ from a general Religious Studies major?
Religion/Religious Studies, with about 1,602 completions, surveys multiple traditions and methodologies. Jewish/Judaic Studies goes deep into one tradition, demands sustained Hebrew study, and treats history, law, and literature as intertwined. The closely related Talmudic Studies major (about 3,687 completions, mostly at yeshivot) is narrower still and centers on rabbinic legal texts.
Why does this major show such small national completions?
The 748 completions reflect administrative grouping more than student demand. Many universities fold Jewish Studies students into broader Religious Studies, History, or Near Eastern Studies degrees, so the headline number understates the population studying the material. Yeshiva University alone reports 521 completions across associate’s and bachelor’s, dwarfing the rest of the field.