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2022 Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Philosophy

805 Colleges in the United States
8,207 Bachelor's Degrees
$28,762 Avg Early-Career Salary
Philosophy is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #60 most popular bachelor's degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2022 ranking, College Factual looked at 805 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the most popular for philosophy students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 8,207 bachelor's degrees in philosophy during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Other Rankings

Choosing a Great Philosophy School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Philosophy Your choice of school for getting your bachelor's degree in philosophy matters. One of the reasons we created our Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Philosophy ranking is to help you make that choice.

Being popular does not always equate to overall quality, but a school with a large number of philosophy students usually has them for a reason. This may be due to it being a great value, it offering a stellar educational experience, or the subject is a major focus of the school.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Associate Degrees in Philosophy
Master's Degrees in Philosophy
Doctor's Degrees in Philosophy
Overall Popularity in Philosophy

This ranking is just one of the many we have created. First of all, if you are interested in other degree levels, you may want to take a look at one of the rankings highlighted above. Also, if you are interested in attending school in a specific part of the country, see our rankings by location. Plus, you can view our other rankings for philosophy.

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.

Learn about the most popular colleges and universities for philosophy students seeking a a bachelor's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Most Well Attended Schools for Philosophy Students Working on Their Bachelor's

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
158 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In PA
#1 Best Quality In PA

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at University of Pennsylvania if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Pennsylvania.

There were about 158 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available.

Those philosophy students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Pennsylvania earn $34,838 more than the typical philosophy graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Pennsylvania

2
139 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In CA
#3 Best Quality In CA

University of California - Santa Barbara is one of the most popular schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #3 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in California.

There were approximately 139 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the philosophy program earn around $30,200 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of California - Santa Barbara

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127 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In CA
#2 Best Quality In CA

University of California - Los Angeles is one of the most popular schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in California.

There were approximately 127 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the philosophy program make about $29,900 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of California - Los Angeles

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97 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In CA
#5 Best Quality In CA

Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in philosophy needs to look into University of California - Berkeley. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #5 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in California.

There were about 97 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available.

Soon after graduation, philosophy bachelor's recipients usually earn an average of $25,100 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of California - Berkeley

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Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
78 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MA
#1 Best Quality In MA

Boston College is a large private not-for-profit college located in the city of Chestnut Hill. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Massachusetts.

There were about 78 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent year we have data available.

Those philosophy students who get their bachelor's degree from Boston College earn $9,838 more than the average philosophy student.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Boston College

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NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
73 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

There were approximately 73 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the philosophy program make an average of $24,500 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from New York University

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70 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IL
#1 Best Quality In IL

Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Illinois.

There were about 70 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year.

Those philosophy students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Chicago make $10,538 more than the average philosophy grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Chicago

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68 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NC
#3 Best Quality In NC

UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in North Carolina.

There were approximately 68 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

9
62 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In NY
#2 Best Quality In NY

Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in New York.

There were about 62 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Columbia University in the City of New York

10
60 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In WA
#1 Best Quality In WA

Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Washington.

There were approximately 60 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year.

Philosophy bachelor's degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn a boost of about $2,238 over the typical earnings of philosophy graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

11
59 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In TX
#1 Best Quality In TX

Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Texas.

There were roughly 59 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available.

Soon after graduating, philosophy bachelor's recipients generally earn around $30,300 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from The University of Texas at Austin

12
58 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#4 Most Popular In CA
#4 Best Quality In CA

Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in California.

There were about 58 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year.

Philosophy bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Davis earn a boost of about $2,538 above the average earnings of philosophy graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of California - Davis

13
57 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In WA
#6 Best Quality In WA

UW Bothell is a medium-sized public university located in the large suburb of Bothell. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #6 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Washington.

There were about 57 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at UW Bothell in the most recent data year.

Bachelor's recipients from the philosophy program at University of Washington - Bothell Campus earn $2,238 above the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Washington - Bothell Campus

14
56 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In CO
#1 Best Quality In CO

CU - Boulder is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Boulder. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Colorado.

There were approximately 56 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at CU - Boulder in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduation, philosophy bachelor's recipients typically make an average of $22,000 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Colorado Boulder

15
55 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#5 Most Popular In CA
#1 Best Quality In CA

USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in California.

There were roughly 55 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's recipients from the philosophy major at University of Southern California get $16,138 above the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Southern California

16
54 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#6 Most Popular In CA
#16 Best Quality In CA

UC Santa Cruz is a large public university located in the small city of Santa Cruz.

There were approximately 54 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the philosophy program make about $27,700 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of California - Santa Cruz

16
54 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In WI
#1 Best Quality In WI

Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Wisconsin.

There were roughly 54 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the philosophy program make around $26,000 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Wisconsin - Madison

18
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
50 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In FL
#1 Best Quality In FL

Located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Florida.

There were approximately 50 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the philosophy program report average early career earnings of $28,600.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Florida

19
48 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In PA
#6 Best Quality In PA

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #6 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 48 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

19
48 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In AZ
#1 Best Quality In AZ

ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the city of Tempe. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Arizona.

There were about 48 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent data year.

Philosophy bachelor's degree recipients from Arizona State University - Tempe get an earnings boost of around $7,038 above the average earnings of philosophy graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Arizona State University - Tempe

21
47 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#7 Most Popular In CA
#10 Best Quality In CA

Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public university with a very large student population.

There were about 47 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the philosophy program state that they receive average early career wages of $25,600.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from University of California - Riverside

22
46 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#8 Most Popular In CA
#19 Best Quality In CA

Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public university with a fairly large student population.

There were about 46 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at Sac State in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the philosophy program report average early career income of $26,200.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from California State University - Sacramento

22
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
46 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In FL
#2 Best Quality In FL

Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a very large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Florida.

There were approximately 46 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent data year.

After graduating, philosophy bachelor's recipients generally earn around $28,000 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Florida State University

22
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
46 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In MA
#3 Best Quality In MA

Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #3 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in Massachusetts.

There were about 46 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Boston University

25
45 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NJ
#1 Best Quality In NJ

Rutgers New Brunswick is a fairly large public university located in the small city of New Brunswick. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in philosophy in New Jersey.

There were approximately 45 philosophy individuals who graduated with this degree at Rutgers New Brunswick in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the philosophy program report average early career earnings of $25,900.

More information about a bachelor’s in philosophy from Rutgers University - New Brunswick

25
26
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
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38
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41
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
43
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Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
43
46
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
47
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
47
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Remaining Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Philosophy badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 805 different United States philosophy schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
50 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
50 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
53 Lehman College Bronx, NY
53 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
53 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
53 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
57 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
57 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
57 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
57 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
61 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
62 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
62 Hunter College New York, NY
62 Yale University New Haven, CT
62 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
62 Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY
62 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
62 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
69 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
69 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
69 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
69 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
69 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA
69 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
69 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
76 Brown University Providence, RI
77 Franciscan University of Steubenville Steubenville, OH
77 Holy Apostles College and Seminary Cromwell, CT
77 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
77 University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO
81 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
81 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
81 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA
81 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
81 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
81 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
81 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
81 Duke University Durham, NC
81 University of Georgia Athens, GA
90 Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ
90 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
90 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
90 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
90 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
90 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
96 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
96 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
96 University of North Texas Denton, TX
99 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
99 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
99 Georgetown University Washington, DC
99 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
99 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
99 Chapman University Orange, CA
99 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
99 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
99 St John’s University - New York Queens, NY
99 University of Houston Houston, TX
109 Stanford University Stanford, CA
109 George Washington University Washington, DC
109 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
109 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
109 American Public University System Charles Town, WV
109 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
109 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
109 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
117 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
117 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
117 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
117 John Carroll University University Heights, OH
117 Baruch College New York, NY
117 Sacred Heart Major Seminary Detroit, MI
117 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
117 Towson University Towson, MD
117 Villanova University Villanova, PA
117 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Philosophy students that almost earned our Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Philosophy award.

Rank College Location
127 The City College of New York New York, NY
127 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
127 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
127 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
127 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
127 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
127 DePaul University Chicago, IL
127 Tufts University Medford, MA
127 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
127 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
127 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
127 Illinois State University Normal, IL
127 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
127 Bates College Lewiston, ME
127 Rice University Houston, TX
142 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
142 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
142 Whitman College Walla Walla, WA
142 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
142 Washington State University Pullman, WA
142 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
142 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
142 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
142 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
142 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
142 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
142 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
142 John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY
155 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
155 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
155 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
155 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA
155 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA
155 University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA
155 Iowa State University Ames, IA
155 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
155 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
155 Queens College Queens, NY
155 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
155 Rollins College Winter Park, FL
155 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
155 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
155 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
155 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
155 Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO
155 Mount St Mary’s University Emmitsburg, MD
155 Goucher College Baltimore, MD
155 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
155 University of Vermont Burlington, VT

Philosophy by Region

View the Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Philosophy for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

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Philosophy is one of 3 different types of Philosophy & Religious Studies programs to choose from.

Philosophy Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Philosophy 7,882
Other Philosophy 215
Ethics 69
Applied & Professional Ethics 35
Logic 6

Related Major Annual Graduates
Religious Studies 6,012
Other Philosophy & Religious Studies 202
General Philosophy & Religious Studies 128

Notes and References

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