Compare 38 Religious Studies PhD Programs in the US

Grad School Navigator tracks 38 Religious Studies PhD programs in the US across 33 universities. Most do not require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); only 13% report it as a requirement. A typical program takes about 72 months. Start with the ranked programs below, then use Explorer to compare the details that matter to your shortlist.

Top Programs

Sorted by Grad School Navigator University Rank. Each row also shows QS, Times Higher Education, U.S. News, or Academic Ranking of World Universities positions when available.

  1. 1

    Harvard University

    Doctor of Philosophy in the study of religion

    Application deadline
    Dec 1
    Annual tuition
    $57,328
    Program duration
    84 months
  2. 2

    Stanford University

    Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies

    Application deadline
    Dec 2
    Annual tuition
    $63,540
    Program duration
    72 months
  3. 3

    Princeton University

    Doctor of Philosophy in Religion

    Application deadline
    Dec 30
    Annual tuition
    $65,210
    Program duration
    60 months
  4. 4

    University of California, Berkeley

    PhD in Buddhist Studies

    Application deadline
    Dec 1
    Program duration
    84 months
  5. 5

    Yale University

    Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies

    Application deadline
    Dec 15
    Annual tuition
    $50,900
    Program duration
    72 months
  6. 6

    University of Pennsylvania

    Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies

    Application deadline
    Dec 15
    Program duration
    60 months
  7. 7

    University of Chicago

    Doctor of Philosophy in Divinity

    Application deadline
    Jan 5
    Annual tuition
    $18,034
    Program duration
    84 months
  8. 8

    Columbia University

    Doctor of Philosophy in Religion

    Application deadline
    Dec 11
    Annual tuition
    $56,840
    Program duration
    84 months
  9. 9

    Duke University

    Doctor of Philosophy in Religion

    Application deadline
    Dec 11
    Annual tuition
    $34,940
    Program duration
    60 months
  10. 10

    Brown University

    Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies

    Application deadline
    Dec 15
    Program duration
    72 months

Use detailed filters for tuition, deadlines, duration, admission requirements, and rankings in Programs Explorer. Compare programs and create your application shortlist.

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Popular Criteria

See programs that match these criteria.

No Graduate Record Examination required21Lower annual tuition3Application fee waived1

Complete Program List38 programs

The complete list of Religious Studies PhD Programs, ranked by their global university rank first.

First programs in this cohort
RankUniversityProgramDuration
#1Harvard UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religion84 months
#1Harvard UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in the study of religion84 months
#2Stanford UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies72 months
#4Princeton UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religion60 months
#6University of California, BerkeleyPhD in Buddhist Studies84 months
#8Yale UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies72 months
#10University of PennsylvaniaDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies60 months
#11University of ChicagoDoctor of Philosophy in Divinity84 months
#12Columbia UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religion84 months
#22Duke UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religion60 months
#30Brown UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies72 months
#31The University of Texas at AustinDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies
#34Rice UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religion60 months
#35University of North Carolina--Chapel HillDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies
#43Emory UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Jewish Religious Cultures96 months
#52Vanderbilt UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religion60 months
#55University of VirginiaDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies72 months
#59University of California--Santa BarbaraDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies
#59University of California--Santa BarbaraMA|Doctor of Philosophy in Religious studies
#62University of California, DavisDoctor of Philosophy in Religion72 months
#75University of PittsburghDoctor of Philosophy in Religious studies
#77University of Notre DameDoctor of Philosophy in Theology & Peace Studies72 months
#92Georgetown UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Theological and Religious Studies60 months
#96University of FloridaPhD in Religion - Buddhist Traditions
#99University of GeorgiaDoctor of Philosophy in Religion60 months
#124University of ArizonaEast Asian Studies (PhD)
#126Indiana University--BloomingtonDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies
#175Arizona State UniversityPhD Religious Studies
#301–400University of IowaDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies72 months
#401–500Florida State UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in American Religious History72 months
#401–500Florida State UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in History and Ethnography of Religions
#401–500Florida State UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religion, Ethics, and Philosophy72 months
#401–500Florida State UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religions of Western Antiquity
Baylor UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religion (Old Testament, New Testament, Historical and Theological Areas)60 months
Fordham UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Education
Southern Methodist UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies
Syracuse UniversityDoctor of Philosophy in Religion
University of DenverDU|Iliff Joint PhD Program in the Study of Religion84 months

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Explore all 38 programs in Programs Explorer