---
title: Is a Bible/Biblical Studies degree worth the debt?
cip: 3902
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Bible/Biblical Studies degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **40** colleges (40 of 40 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $27,286 ($28,249 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $23,880 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.86× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $25,401–$30,713 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Associate's | $20,896 | $14,828 | 1.03× | 4 | 4/4 |
| Bachelor's | $27,286 | $23,880 | 0.86× | 40 | 40/40 |
| Master's | $42,078 | $23,864 | 0.50× | 3 | 3/3 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Colorado Christian University (CO) | $40,853 | $43,750 |
| Carolina University (NC) | $39,271 | $21,029 |
| Luther Rice College & Seminary (GA) | $36,606 | $30,955 |
| Lancaster Bible College (PA) | $35,084 | $21,955 |
| Crown College (MN) | $34,427 | $22,375 |
| University of Northwestern-St Paul (MN) | $34,240 | $24,218 |
| Moody Bible Institute (IL) | $33,632 | $12,690 |
| Lipscomb University (TN) | $31,532 | — |
| Freed-Hardeman University (TN) | $30,949 | $23,884 |
| Multnomah University | $30,787 | $23,875 |
| Dallas Baptist University (TX) | $30,688 | $17,163 |
| Truett McConnell University (GA) | $29,337 | — |
| Criswell College (TX) | $28,997 | — |
| Harding University (AR) | $28,728 | $19,913 |
| Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion (IN) | $28,647 | $31,740 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/bible-biblical-studies.jsonld` · `/education/fields/bible-biblical-studies.json`