Religious Studies Degree in Los Angeles, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Religious Studies degree analysis for Los Angeles, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$71K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$78K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6 yrs
in Los Angeles
Cost of Living
141
index (100 = avg)
Religious Studies in Los Angeles, CA Overview
Los Angeles is one of California's top college towns, with 69 institutions and a student population of 322,771. Public tuition averages $13,804/year here — near the national average for public universities. Although national enrollment in Religious Studies has been declining, graduates with skills in Textual Analysis and Cross-Cultural Understanding remain competitive in the job market. The adjusted starting salary in Los Angeles is approximately $70,500.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
69
Public Tuition
$13,804/yr
Private Tuition
$59,151/yr
Room & Board
$17,998/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,255/yr
Unemployment
3.4%
Graduation Rate
47%
Religious Studies Salary in Los Angeles (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Los Angeles's cost of living index of 141 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Religious Studies salary: $50,000 starting, $55,000 mid-career, $68,000 senior level.Los Angeles adjustment factor: 1.41x based on the local cost of living index.
Religious Studies ROI Calculator for Los Angeles
Estimate your return on investment for a Religious Studies degree using local Los Angeles tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $13,804 | Private avg: $59,151
Los Angeles avg aid: $8,255/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$127,208
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$21,150
vs HS diploma in Los Angeles
ROI Payback Period
6 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Los Angeles
$84,292
Lifetime earnings premium ($211,500) minus total education cost ($127,208)
Student Loan Payoff for Religious Studies in Los Angeles
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Los Angeles for Religious Studies
UCLA
public
$13,804/yr
$55,216 total
USC
private
$63,468/yr
$253,872 total
Loyola Marymount University
private
$54,834/yr
$219,336 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Los Angeles City College
$1,540/yr
Santa Monica College
$1,540/yr
Top Employers for Religious Studies in Los Angeles
Los Angeles offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Religious Studies graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Los Angeles Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Religious Studies Job Titles
Religious Studies in Nearby California Cities
San Diego, CA
$70K starting · COL 140
68 colleges
San Jose, CA
$65K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
San Francisco, CA
$57K starting · COL 114
22 colleges
Fresno, CA
$59K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$56K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$58K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$66K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Bakersfield, CA
$67K starting · COL 134
18 colleges
Other Humanities Majors in Los Angeles
Chinese Studies
$78K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$71K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$62K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$71K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$59K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$62K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$71K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$59K starting · 5 yr ROI
Religious Studies Degree in Los Angeles — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Religious Studies ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Los Angeles.