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2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy (Income $0-$30k)

60 Ranked Colleges
446 Degrees Awarded
$37,600 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 10,015 people earned their degree in philosophy, making the major the 81st most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, philosophy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,067 and had an average of $22,199 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 446 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 60 colleges that offered a degree in philosophy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great philosophy programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the philosophy program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Philosophy Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy (Income $0-$30k)

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified doctorate’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Pennsylvania Philosophy Report

#2

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #2 spot on the list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s philosophy degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke University are $59,140, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Duke University Philosophy Report

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567.

Read more about Philosophy at Northwestern University

#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s philosophy degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #5 spot in our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548.

Full UChicago Philosophy Report

#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

U-M also took the #12 spot in our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full U-M Philosophy Report

#6

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#8 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624.

Read full report on Philosophy at Vanderbilt University

#7

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#4 in overall quality

Cornell University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042.

Full Cornell University Philosophy Report

#8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#20 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Philosophy Report

#23 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s philosophy degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194.

Read more about Philosophy at Columbia

#24 in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle also took the #24 spot in our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294.

Full UW Seattle Philosophy Report

#12

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#9 in overall quality

Emory University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Emory University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 6 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory also took the #9 spot in our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Emory are $44,676.

Read full report on Philosophy at Emory

#13

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Boston College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 7 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College also took the #7 spot in our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston College are $31,930, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Philosophy at Boston College

#14

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Notre Dame are $57,522.

Full Notre Dame Philosophy Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 5 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.

Full UIUC Philosophy Report

#16

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 3 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State University are $26,707.

Read full report on Philosophy at Florida State University

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 7 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Irvine

#18

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 4 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Philosophy at UCLA

With a ranking of #19, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141.

Full Ohio State Philosophy Report

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 doctorate’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at USF Tampa are $21,126, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Philosophy at USF Tampa

#21

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#22 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 5 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347.

Read more about Philosophy at UC Berkeley

#22

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#13 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Virginia has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Virginia - Main Campus are $32,394, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Philosophy Report

#23

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #23, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Georgia are $27,476, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Georgia Philosophy Report

#17 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #17 spot in our “Best Philosophy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UC Davis are $28,700.

Full University of California - Davis Philosophy Report

#25

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s philosophy degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCR are $28,686.

Read more about Philosophy at UCR

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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