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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy in California

11 Ranked Colleges
47 Degrees Awarded
$39,100 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2021-2022, 9,787 people earned their degree in philosophy, making the major the 83rd most popular in the United States. In , philosophy graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $30,510 and had an average of $21,103 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,693 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,527 and $15,719 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 47 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $76,943 and $148,774 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California” ranking analyzed 11 colleges that offered a degree in philosophy. That schools that top this list have a program in philosophy in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California”.

Top 11 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 11 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s philosophy students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Stanford Philosophy Report

2
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont Graduate University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California. Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Claremont Graduate University Philosophy Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 9 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Philosophy at UC Irvine

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at UCLA

5

Out of the 11 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 3 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at UCSB

6

University of California - Berkeley landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s philosophy students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Berkeley Philosophy Report

7

University of California - San Diego came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s philosophy degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSD Philosophy Report

8

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Philosophy at UC Santa Cruz

9
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #9, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 5 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full USC Philosophy Report

10

University of California - Davis ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Philosophy Report

10

University of California - Riverside came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCR Philosophy Report

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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