Bachelor in Religion/Religious Studies (Bachelor's)

At Reed College, tuition is Tuition for the 2024-2025 academic year is $63,880..

The Religion major at Reed College examines global religious traditions including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and East Asian religions. Students engage with primary texts, historical contexts, and lived religious practices through a comparative and interdisciplinary lens. The programme emphasizes critical analysis, research, and writing grounded in academic study rather than theological training. Faculty mentor students in original research, culminating in a senior thesis based on independent inquiry.

Focus areas include Buddhism, Christianity, East Asian religions, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism.

The degree requires 36 credits, including introductory courses, advanced seminars, a junior qualifying exam, and a senior thesis. Students complete two 100-level introductory courses and take at least two advanced courses in distinct religious traditions.

Graduates pursue careers in academia, law, public service, cultural resource planning, technology, and religious leadership.

Applicants must submit transcripts, standardized test scores if required, and a personal statement. Admission is based on academic record, intellectual curiosity, and personal qualities. Reed College does not require a specific high school curriculum for the Religion major.

The programme totals about 36 credit hours. On-campus, full-time, four-year programme. For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 27% of applicants.

Reed's liberal arts tradition has grown around broad study, close faculty mentorship, and sustained inquiry. Students share Humanities 110, a signature program examining how people in different historical contexts have addressed fundamental questions about existence, then study deeply in a major. Research begins early: undergraduates collaborate with faculty, work in labs, participate in archaeological fieldwork, conduct canopy research, or volunteer in the nuclear reactor. Summer fellowships and grants can support campus projects, travel, and research abroad. In the final year, every student undertakes a senior thesis, working with a faculty adviser on experiments, primary-source research, or another major-based project that remains in Reed's Thesis Tower.

The Portland campus combines green open space with places for study and community. Reed Canyon is a 28-acre watershed with a lake, trees, and the Blue Bridge, while lawns and Old Dorm Block sit against views of the Portland skyline. Downtown Portland is a short bike ride away, and students can plan trips to the college's ski cabin on Mount Hood. International applicants apply as a specific applicant type through the Common Application or Coalition for College Application and complete a Reed writing supplement. Reed does not use SAT or ACT results in admission review. TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo is strongly encouraged for applicants who do not speak English at home or whose school teaches in another language; international interviews are by invitation only. Admitted international students receive financial aid meeting 100 percent of demonstrated need for all four years.