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Major · Philosophy & Religious Studies

Talmudic Studies asks for years of close textual work.

Talmudic Studies is a rigorous program in rabbinic literature, Jewish law, and the methods of textual analysis that have shaped Jewish learning for centuries. Most degrees are awarded by yeshivot training students for the rabbinate, religious education, or community leadership.

Schools offering
89
Annual completions
3,687
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$46k

About this major

Talmudic Studies is the formal academic recognition of a course of learning that long predates the modern degree. The Council on Postsecondary Education places it under CIP 38.0207 and describes it as intense study of the Talmud, with instruction in Jewish law, jurisprudence, ethics, philosophy, and related disciplines, all anchored in the goal of producing scholars and rabbinic leaders. In practice the program is built around chavruta-style paired study, daily Gemara seder, and engagement with commentators stretching from Rashi and the Tosafists through responsa literature and modern codes. Hebrew and Aramaic literacy are assumed, and most coursework happens inside yeshivot whose schedule and ethos are structured around religious life rather than a conventional college calendar.

The major suits students who have grown up inside Orthodox Jewish learning environments and who are oriented toward the rabbinate, religious teaching, or community leadership. It also serves students who already plan to enter family businesses, law, or finance and want a credential that recognizes the years they have invested in Talmud before transitioning to professional study. Across the field, 89 institutions reported a combined 3,687 completions, a number that looks small in national terms but is substantial inside a tightly defined community of yeshivot, with Beth Medrash Govoha alone accounting for 635 of those completions.

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
Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary $78k +0.7% 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

The major fits students who are already embedded in Orthodox learning, comfortable in Hebrew and Aramaic, and pursuing a credential that aligns with rabbinic ordination, religious-school teaching, kashrut supervision, or community outreach. Students who plan to spend years in full-time text study regardless of the degree often see the bachelor’s as a recognition of work they would do anyway, which can also support later transitions into law school, social work, or business with a recognized academic record. Concentration of completions at institutions like Beth Medrash Govoha (635), Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel (476), and United Talmudical Seminary (324) signals a clear path for students with community ties to those institutions.

The major is a poor match for students looking for a broad humanities experience, a secular religious-studies academic track, or strong direct labor-market signaling outside religious communities. Reported earnings near $46,112 five years out reflect both the religious-vocation orientation of graduates and incomplete capture of clergy income in BLS data, so applicants who need conventional ROI clarity should look at Jewish/Judaic Studies or Religion/Religious Studies instead. Students without prior yeshiva background will likely struggle with admissions and pacing at most of the 89 reporting institutions.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Talmudic Studies

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Beth Medrash Govoha Lakewood, NJ 0 635 635
Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel Monroe, NY 0 476 476
United Talmudical Seminary Brooklyn, NY 0 324 324
Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz Brooklyn, NY 15 133 148
Yeshivath Viznitz Monsey, NY 0 99 99
Mosdos Yaakov V'Yisroel Lakewood, NJ 92 6 98
Yeshiva of Machzikai Hadas Brooklyn, NY 0 93 93
Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion Brooklyn, NY 0 81 81
Talmudical Seminary of Bobov Brooklyn, NY 0 81 81
Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary Spring Valley, NY 0 80 80
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Religion/Religious Studies

1,602 completions/yr

Jewish/Judaic Studies

748 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 does a Talmudic Studies major actually study?
Students focus on intense study of the Talmud, alongside Jewish law (halakhah), Jewish jurisprudence, ethics, and rabbinic philosophy. The CIP definition emphasizes critical thinking and scholarship skills built through close engagement with classical texts in Hebrew and Aramaic. Coursework typically includes Gemara, commentaries (Rashi, Tosafot), responsa literature, and codes such as the Shulchan Aruch. Most programs sit inside yeshivot where the daily rhythm is structured around chavruta-style learning rather than a conventional liberal-arts schedule.
Where is this major offered?
About 89 institutions report completions in this CIP, and nearly all are Orthodox yeshivot concentrated in New York and New Jersey. Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood is the largest, with 635 bachelor’s completions in the most recent reporting cycle, followed by Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel and United Talmudical Seminary in Brooklyn. Total completions across all institutions reached 3,687, which is sizable for a niche CIP and reflects the concentration of Talmudic learning at a small set of specialized schools.
What careers do graduates pursue?
The major is overtly vocational toward religious roles: pulpit and community rabbis, dayanim (rabbinical court judges), kashrut supervisors, mashgichim, religious-school faculty, and kiruv (outreach) educators. The one BLS occupation tagged here, postsecondary philosophy and religion teachers, reports a median wage near $78,050 but typically requires a doctorate, so it captures only a slice of outcomes. Many graduates also enter parallel secular careers such as law, accounting, real estate, or business after completing further training.
What do earnings figures look like?
Reported median earnings five years out sit near $46,112, with associate completers slightly higher at $49,362 than bachelor completers at $45,823. These figures should be read with care: clergy and religious-education roles are inconsistently captured in earnings data, many graduates work inside their communities in ways that do not show up cleanly in standard wage records, and household economics in observant communities often rely on dual-income or community-supported models. Treat the number as a partial signal rather than a full picture.
Is this major right for someone outside the Orthodox community?
It can be, but the fit is narrow. The pedagogy assumes prior literacy in Hebrew, Aramaic, and the rhythms of yeshiva learning, and most institutions admit primarily within their own religious communities. Students drawn to Jewish thought, history, or comparative religion without a religious-vocation track often find Jewish/Judaic Studies (CIP 38.0206) or Religion/Religious Studies (CIP 38.0201) better aligned with academic, museum, or nonprofit careers.
Associate or bachelor’s — does the level matter?
Most completions in this CIP are at the bachelor’s level, though several yeshivot also award associate degrees. The associate path is sometimes used as an interim credential during longer rabbinic training, while the bachelor’s typically marks completion of a multi-year course of Talmud study. Earnings differences between the two are small in absolute terms and are heavily shaped by which community a graduate works in rather than the degree label itself.