New Jersey·Educational Instruction and Library Occupations·SOC 25-1126

Best Philosophy programs in New Jersey, ranked by enrollment

Teach courses in philosophy, religion, and theology.

45 schools in New Jersey run programs that feed this job, graduating 3,259 people a year. The job pays a median of $99,450 in New Jersey across about 900 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledProfessorReligion ProfessorAssistant ProfessorPhilosophy ProfessorEducatorInstructorJewish EducatorDivinity Teacher
Graduates / yr
3,259
in New Jersey
Median pay · New Jersey
$99,450
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
900
people employed
Schools
45
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
53%
across those schools
Median net price
$9,706
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in New Jersey that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

12 programs in New Jersey that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in New Jersey (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own New Jersey page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
Talmudic Studiesmain feeder
2,727
83.7%
24$26,048$25,612
2116
3.6%
7$32,202$25,375
3115
3.5%
4$32,202$25,375
4113
3.5%
13$31,618$22,862
592
2.8%
1$33,182$25,000
633
1.0%
6$26,048$25,612
718
0.6%
2$31,618$22,862
814
0.4%
2
912
0.4%
1$32,202$25,375
1010
0.3%
2$32,351$25,937
118
0.2%
1$30,092$27,000
121
0.0%
1$32,226$26,000

Top 25 schools in New Jersey

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 5 of the 45 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Beth Medrash Govoha
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
2,119Talmudic Studies$36,798
2Mosdos Yaakov V'Yisroel
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
132Talmudic Studies46%89%
3Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton, NJ Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
105Divinity/Ministry
4Pillar College
Newark, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
92Bible/Biblical Studies38%$8,042
5Drew University
Madison, NJ Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs
89Divinity/Ministry70%$23,09468%
6Yeshiva Gedolah Keren Hatorah
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
76Talmudic Studies87%$6,05686%
7Yeshiva Gedolah Shaarei Shmuel
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
51Talmudic Studies89%$7,98954%
8Princeton University
Princeton, NJ Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
49Philosophy98%$13,7295%
9Talmudical Academy - New Jersey
Adelphia, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
48Talmudic Studies60%$6,82443%
10Yeshiva Gedola Tiferes Yerachmiel
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
47Talmudic Studies91%$7,83551%
11Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs
41Philosophy$40,11384%58%
12Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ Public · 4 feeder programs
32Philosophy and Religious Studies, General67%78%
13Seton Hall University
South Orange, NJ Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
30Theology/Theological Studies69%$27,37673%
14Yeshiva Toras Chaim
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
30Talmudic Studies31%$5,10244%
15Rabbinical College of America
Morristown, NJ Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
29Talmudic Studies22%$14,47195%
16Bet Midrash Ohel Torah
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
28Talmudic Studies
17New Brunswick Theological Seminary
New Brunswick, NJ Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs
28Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other
18Yeshiva Gedola Tiferes Yaakov Yitzchok
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
28Talmudic Studies87%$10,13477%
19Yeshiva Gedolah of Woodlake Village
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
27Talmudic Studies61%$7,16484%
20Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Leyma
Union, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
24Talmudic Studies67%$6,57657%
21Bais Medrash Toras Chesed
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
19Talmudic Studies33%$5,75558%
22Yeshiva Chemdas Hatorah
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
14Talmudic Studies76%$10,37380%
23Yeshiva Yesodei Hatorah
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
11Talmudic Studies36%$9,81685%
24Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok
Elizabeth, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
11Talmudic Studies$61,24414%$16,18986%
25Bais Medrash Mayan Hatorah
Lakewood, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
10Talmudic Studies58%$11,25568%

All 45 schools in New Jersey

Every school in New Jersey with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in New Jersey that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Beth Medrash GovohaLakewoodPrivate not-for-profit2,1191
Mosdos Yaakov V'YisroelLakewoodPrivate not-for-profit1321
Princeton Theological SeminaryPrincetonPrivate not-for-profit1053
Pillar CollegeNewarkPrivate not-for-profit921
Drew UniversityMadisonPrivate not-for-profit894
Yeshiva Gedolah Keren HatorahLakewoodPrivate not-for-profit761
Yeshiva Gedolah Shaarei ShmuelLakewoodPrivate not-for-profit511
Princeton UniversityPrincetonPrivate not-for-profit492
Talmudical Academy - New JerseyAdelphiaPrivate not-for-profit481
Yeshiva Gedola Tiferes YerachmielLakewoodPrivate not-for-profit471
Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew BrunswickPublic412
Rowan UniversityGlassboroPublic324
Seton Hall UniversitySouth OrangePrivate not-for-profit303
Yeshiva Toras ChaimLakewoodPrivate not-for-profit301
Rabbinical College of AmericaMorristownPrivate not-for-profit292

What philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary earn in New Jersey

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in New Jersey
$99,450
Mean annual
$108,030
Jobs in state
900
What the range looks like
10th pct$50,450Median$99,45090th pct$213,590
Versus the national median
+23.9%

U.S. median $80,260. New Jersey pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
1.59×

Concentrated here: New Jersey employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in New Jersey

Trenton-Princeton, NJ
$81,540median

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+0.7%
Little or no change
Openings per year
2,000
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
200
27,300 → 27,500
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary page.

How to become a Philosophy

Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingWritingLearning Strategies

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in New Jersey

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 25 majors mapped to Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary24 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 30.5101Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
  • 38.0001Philosophy and Religious Studies, General
  • 38.0101Philosophy
  • 38.0103Ethics
  • 38.0104Applied and Professional Ethics
  • 38.0199Philosophy, Other
  • 38.0201Religion/Religious Studies
  • 38.0202Buddhist Studies
  • 38.0203Christian Studies
  • 38.0204Hindu Studies(no graduates reported)
  • 38.0207Talmudic Studies
  • 38.9999Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other
  • 39.0201Bible/Biblical Studies
  • 39.0301Missions/Missionary Studies
  • 39.0401Religious Education
  • 39.0501Religious/Sacred Music
  • 39.0502Worship Ministry
  • 39.0601Theology/Theological Studies
  • 39.0602Divinity/Ministry
  • 39.0604Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies
  • 39.0605Rabbinical Studies
  • 39.0699Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other
  • 39.0701Pastoral Studies/Counseling
  • 39.0703Urban Ministry
  • 39.0706Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies

Common questions

Answers for people weighing philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary programs in New Jersey.

What degree do you need to become a Philosophy?+

Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Talmudic Studies, which awarded 2,727 degrees in New Jersey in 2024-25, 83.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Philosophy?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 12 programs to this occupation. The largest are Religion/Religious Studies, Theological and Ministerial Studies, Philosophy, Bible/Biblical Studies, plus 4 more. Together they graduate about 3,259 people a year in New Jersey.

How much do philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary earn in New Jersey?+

The median is $99,450 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 23.9% above the U.S. median of $80,260. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary growing?+

BLS projects a +0.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 2,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in New Jersey?+

45 institutions in New Jersey reported graduates from at least one of the 12 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Religion Professor, Assistant Professor, Philosophy Professor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1126.

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary in other statesNew YorkVirginiaCaliforniaTexasIllinoisMissouriKentuckyPennsylvania

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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