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2025 Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Doctor's Degree Schools

6 Colleges in the United States
657 Doctor's Degrees
$76,429 Avg Early-Career Salary
Philosophy & Religious Studies isn't the most popular doctorate program in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #20 in popularity out of 36 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 6 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 657 doctor's degrees in philosophy & religious studies to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Philosophy & Religious Studies School for Your Doctor's Degree

Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Doctor's Degree Schools Your choice of philosophy & religious studies for getting your doctor'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. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of doctorate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their doctor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for philosophy & religious studies students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Philosophy & Religious Studies Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The philosophy & religious studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Doctor's Degree Schools.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Philosophy & Religious Studies in the United States

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for philosophy & religious studies students seeking a a doctor's degree.

Top Schools for a Doctorate in Philosophy & Religious Studies

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in philosophy & religious studies needs to take a look at University of Pennsylvania. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.More information about a doctorate in philosophy & religious studies from University of Pennsylvania

2
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
20 Annual Graduates

Emory University is a great decision for students pursuing a doctor's degree in philosophy & religious studies. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Atlanta.More information about a doctorate in philosophy & religious studies from Emory University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in philosophy & religious studies has to take a look at Baylor University. Located in the city of Waco, Baylor is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in philosophy & religious studies from Baylor University

4
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8 Annual Graduates

Liberty University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in philosophy & religious studies. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Lynchburg.More information about a doctorate in philosophy & religious studies from Liberty University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11 Annual Graduates

UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a doctorate in philosophy & religious studies from University of California - Santa Barbara

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in philosophy & religious studies from University of California - Irvine

Philosophy & Religious Studies by Region

View the Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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Philosophy & Religious Studies Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Philosophy 413
Religious Studies 211
General Philosophy & Religious Studies 25
Other Philosophy & Religious Studies 8

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 3,781
Theology & Religious Vocations 2,700
English Language & Literature 1,208
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 1,041
History 757
Communication & Journalism 605
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 420
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 278
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 108

Notes and References

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