by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 101 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Philosophy Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 7,543 bachelor's degrees in philosophy to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of philosophy for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for philosophy students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Philosophy Bachelor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in philosophy has to take a look at University of Pennsylvania. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Philosophy bachelor's degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania get an earnings boost of about $40,940 above the typical income of philosophy majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Pennsylvania
Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in philosophy needs to take a look at Cornell University. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca.More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Cornell University
University of Southern California is a great option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in philosophy. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Philosophy bachelor's degree recipients from University of Southern California get an earnings boost of about $6,267 over the typical earnings of philosophy graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Southern California
Boston College is a great option for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Chestnut Hill.
Those philosophy students who get their bachelor's degree from Boston College receive $15,232 more than the typical philosophy student.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Boston College
Located in the midsize suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Chicago
Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Notre Dame
Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the philosophy program at University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn $9,959 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the philosophy degree program at Columbia University in the City of New York earn $20,555 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Columbia University in the City of New York
UMCP is a very large public university located in the suburb of College Park.
Those philosophy students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Maryland - College Park make $3,495 more than the average philosophy graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Maryland - College Park
Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.
After graduating, philosophy bachelor's recipients generally make around $30,182 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the philosophy program at New York University earn $8,246 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from New York University
Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Emory University
UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.
Philosophy bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley get an earnings boost of around $4,242 above the average earnings of philosophy majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of California - Berkeley
Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the philosophy major at University of Wisconsin - Madison get $3,862 above the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Iowa is a very large public university located in the small city of Iowa City.More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Iowa
Located in the large city of Bronx, Fordham U is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Fordham University
UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill.
Philosophy bachelor's degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn a boost of about $2,171 over the average income of philosophy graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston.
Philosophy bachelor's degree recipients from Boston University earn a boost of about $8,264 over the typical earnings of philosophy majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Boston University
U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.
Bachelor's recipients from the philosophy program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get $5,772 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Michigan - Ann ArborHere are some additional great schools for Philosophy students that almost earned our Best Philosophy Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
| 22 | Tulane University of Louisiana | New Orleans, LA |
| 23 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 24 | University of California - Davis | Davis, CA |
| 25 | University of California - Riverside | Riverside, CA |
| 26 | Baylor University | Waco, TX |
| 27 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA |
| 28 | University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ |
| 29 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL |
| 30 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 31 | Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
| 32 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA |
| 33 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL |
View the Best Philosophy Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
One of 3 majors within the Philosophy & Religious Studies area of study, Philosophy has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | 7,161 |
| Other Philosophy | 260 |
| Ethics | 60 |
| Applied & Professional Ethics | 59 |
| Logic | 3 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Religious Studies | 5,554 |
| General Philosophy & Religious Studies | 122 |
| Other Philosophy & Religious Studies | 99 |