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Major · Theology and Religious Vocations

Study the Bible as scripture, literature, and history — the most common undergraduate degree in this field

Bible/Biblical Studies is the largest major in theology and religious vocations, with about 1,765 degrees awarded annually across 196 mostly faith-based colleges. Students examine biblical texts in their theological, historical, and literary contexts, often as preparation for ministry, religious education, or graduate divinity study.

Schools offering
196
Annual completions
1,765
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$45k

About this major

Bible/Biblical Studies is a program of sustained textual study — close reading and interpretation of the Christian and (sometimes) Jewish scriptures, taught within the intellectual tradition of a particular faith community. The CIP definition frames it as focused on understanding and interpreting the theological, doctrinal, and ethical messages of the Bible, often with an eye toward religious vocations. Coursework typically layers biblical languages (Greek, Hebrew), systematic and historical theology, church history, hermeneutics, and applied ministry skills on top of the close-reading core. Most of the 196 colleges that offer the degree are denominationally identified, so the curriculum's interpretive framework, not just its subject matter, reflects a specific tradition.

It is the largest major in theology and religious vocations by a wide margin: roughly 1,765 degrees awarded annually, more than double the next-largest related major (Theology/Theological Studies at 938). Students pursuing it commonly plan on careers as directors of religious activities and education (BLS median wage $54,840; projected growth 2.1%) or as clergy — though ordination in many denominations requires graduate seminary or divinity study beyond the bachelor's. A smaller number use the degree as preparation for postsecondary teaching of philosophy and religion ($78,050 median), which requires a doctoral or professional degree.

The top producers reflect the major's faith-rooted character. Lancaster Bible College leads with 110 annual completions, followed by Colorado Christian University (96), Pillar College (71), College of Biblical Studies-Houston (59), and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (51). Moody Bible Institute, Regent University, Cedarville University, Liberty University, and Appalachian Bible College round out the top ten — a mix of Bible colleges, evangelical universities, and seminaries.

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
Directors, religious activities and education $55k +2.1% Bachelor's degree
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

$45k

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

Associate's

$40k

Bachelor's

$45k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you already belong to a faith tradition whose scripture you want to study rigorously in its original languages, you're drawn to careful textual interpretation and theological argument, you're comfortable spending four years inside a single confessional framework, you see ministry or religious education as a genuine vocational direction, and you accept that early-career earnings for bachelor's completers sit near $45,268 — a figure that's modest relative to many bachelor's majors but roughly in line with the field's main occupational destinations like directors of religious activities and education at $54,840 median.

Think twice if your interest in religion is academic or comparative rather than devotional — a secular Religious Studies program (a different CIP family) typically fits better. Think twice also if you want to enter ordained ministry in a denomination that requires an M.Div. and haven't planned the graduate step — the postsecondary teaching path explicitly requires a doctorate, and many clergy roles require seminary beyond the undergraduate credential. And think twice if you're optimizing for earnings: the associate's-to-bachelor's earnings split here ($39,945 vs $45,268) is narrow, the ten-year earnings data isn't tracked, and adjacent majors like Theology/Theological Studies or Pastoral Studies/Counseling show similar wage ceilings.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Bible/Biblical Studies

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Lancaster Bible College Lancaster, PA 38 72 110
Colorado Christian University Lakewood, CO 38 58 96
Pillar College Newark, NJ 0 71 71
College of Biblical Studies-Houston Houston, TX 14 45 59
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Kansas City, MO 4 47 51
Regent University Virginia Beach, VA 0 51 51
Moody Bible Institute Chicago, IL 12 37 49
Appalachian Bible College Mount Hope, WV 3 36 39
Cedarville University Cedarville, OH 0 36 36
Liberty University Lynchburg, VA 0 36 36
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Religious Education

608 completions/yr

Pastoral Studies/Counseling

394 completions/yr

Missions/Missionary Studies

285 completions/yr

Worship Ministry

64 completions/yr

Bioethics/Medical Ethics

63 completions/yr

Urban Ministry

29 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Bible/Biblical Studies majors actually study?
The curriculum centers on close reading and interpretation of the Christian and (in some programs) Jewish scriptures, typically paired with coursework in systematic and historical theology, church history, and biblical languages such as Greek and Hebrew. Most programs also cover hermeneutics (principles of interpretation), ethics, and the practical application of scripture to teaching, preaching, or counseling settings. The field's CIP definition frames it as emphasis on the theological, doctrinal, and ethical messages of the Bible, often with an eye toward religious vocations.
What jobs do Bible/Biblical Studies graduates typically enter?
The two occupations most directly tied to this major are Directors of religious activities and education (median wage $54,840; projected growth 2.1%) and postsecondary Philosophy and religion teachers ($78,050 median), though the teaching path typically requires a doctoral or professional degree. Many graduates also move into clergy roles, missions work, non-profit religious organizations, or unrelated fields — the bachelor's-level earnings signal in the data ($45,268 median at five years) suggests outcomes cluster in the low-to-middle range of bachelor's destinations.
Is a bachelor's enough, or do graduates usually need seminary?
The bachelor's is offered at 196 colleges and is the typical credential for entry-level roles like religious education directors and some clergy positions. Associate's programs exist as well — bachelor's completers report higher median five-year earnings ($45,268) than associate's completers ($39,945). Ordained ministry in many denominations, and any path into postsecondary religion teaching, effectively requires graduate work at a seminary or divinity school. Many Bible/Biblical Studies students treat the undergraduate degree as a direct on-ramp to an M.Div. or M.A. program.
How do earnings compare to other undergraduate majors?
Median earnings at five years out for Bible/Biblical Studies bachelor's completers run roughly $45,268, with the associate's-to-bachelor's split sitting at $39,945 versus $45,268 — a smaller premium than in many other fields. The direct-destination occupation (directors of religious activities and education) pays $54,840 median, which reflects mid-career rather than entry-level. Students choosing this major should expect early-career earnings closer to the lower half of bachelor's outcomes overall; the economic case tends to be weaker than the vocational one.
Which schools award the most degrees in this major?
The field is dominated by faith-based institutions. The largest producers are Lancaster Bible College (110 completions, PA), Colorado Christian University (96, CO), Pillar College (71, NJ), College of Biblical Studies-Houston (59, TX), and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (51, MO). Moody Bible Institute (IL), Regent University (VA), Cedarville University (OH), Liberty University (VA), and Appalachian Bible College (WV) round out the top ten. Each school reflects a particular denominational tradition — that fit often matters more to applicants here than in other majors.
What if I'm interested in the subject but not the ministry track?
Some students use Bible/Biblical Studies as preparation for law, teaching, non-profit leadership, or graduate humanities programs — the textual analysis and argumentation skills transfer. If academic study of religion across traditions is what draws you rather than pastoral preparation, related fields like Theology/Theological Studies (938 completions) or Religious Education (608) may fit. Secular Religious Studies programs (a different CIP family) sit outside this major and tend to be framed as scholarly rather than vocational; worth considering if your interest is comparative or historical more than doctrinal.