Religious Exempt Schools

Schools with a Religious Exemption are permitted by statute to offer specific degrees with exclusively religious titles approved by the ODA, but they need not meet all state academic standards. To qualify for an exemption, the school must meet requirements in ORS 348.594, as shown in 2005 advance sheets Chapter 546. Beyond those criteria, the state assumes no responsibility for the quality of these programs.

Religious Exemptions in the United States – August, 2009

Map shows states with no religious exemption in yellow. States with some kind of religious exemption are shown in purple.

ODA provides this basic outline of how other jurisdictions oversee unaccredited religious degree-granting colleges.  Anyone interested in attending or starting a religious college in another jurisdiction should contact that jurisdiction to determine what the local law is.  Some exempt schools may provide a good education; others may not.

The 30 jurisdictions below have no significant exemption for approval of unaccredited religious degree-granting institutions and programs. Some may have minor exemptions for certain aspects of programs. In these jurisdictions, degree programs undergo an evaluation and approval process identical or nearly identical to the process used for secular colleges.

Alabama Alaska Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Kansas Kentucky Idaho Illinois Maine Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Vermont West Virginia Wyoming

The 21 jurisdictions below exempt unaccredited religious degree-granting schools from government oversight.  Most of these allow restricted-use degrees for religious purposes only.

* Oregon law requires religious exempt colleges to meet certain standards, so is not a full exemption.  This is true because such degrees are legal for use in secular work in Oregon.

NOTE: some states place the same requirements on accredited religious degree providers; others use a different standard for accredited and unaccredited schools.

Did not respond (5): Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island.