by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Philosophy & Religious Studies is the 28th most popular major in the country with 19,993 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, philosophy and religious studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,946 and had an average of $22,275 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major” ranking, we looked at 1,195 colleges that offer a degree in philosophy and religious studies. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in philosophy and religious studies.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for philosophy & religious studies students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Liberty University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major list. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 807 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at Liberty University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yeshiva University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major. New York, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 551 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Yeshiva University Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major list. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 214 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 Pennsylvania Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
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 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 188 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 182 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara
Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking, coming in at #6. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 124 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
University of California - Berkeley ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 106 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at UC Berkeley
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking, coming in at #7. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wake Forest, North Carolina. It awarded 106 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 105 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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 & Religious Studies at University of Virginia
With a ranking of #10, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 100 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Boston College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 100 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.
Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at Boston College
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking, coming in at #12. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 98 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
New York University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking. New York University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 94 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Emory University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking. Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at Emory University
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 83 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 84 students in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Colorado Boulder ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major list. CU - Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Biola University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking, coming in at #19. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 80 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
University of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking. UST MN is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at UST MN
Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking, coming in at #19. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of California - Riverside ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 79 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #23, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major list. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, this large public school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at ASU - Skysong
With a ranking of #23, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 74 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 University of California - Irvine Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
University of Chicago came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major ranking. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 95 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at ASU - Tempe
Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Boston University | Boston, MA |
| 52 | Jewish Theological Seminary of America | New York, NY |
| 53 | Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA |
| 53 | Baylor University | Waco, TX |
| 53 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
| 56 | University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
| 57 | Women’S-Institute-Of-Torah-Seminary | Baltimore, MD |
| 58 | Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN |
| 59 | Princeton University | Princeton, NJ |
| 60 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
| 60 | Santa Clara University | Santa Clara, CA |
| 62 | Rice University | Houston, TX |
| 62 | California State University - Fullerton | Fullerton, CA |
| 62 | Indiana University - Bloomington | Bloomington, IN |
| 65 | University of Maryland - College Park | College Park, MD |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | American University | Washington, DC |
| 67 | George Washington University | Washington, DC |
| 67 | Duke University | Durham, NC |
| 67 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
| 70 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 70 | Seton Hall University | South Orange, NJ |
| 70 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 70 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA |
| 70 | University of South Florida - Main Campus | Tampa, FL |
| 75 | Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX |
| 75 | Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, NY |
| 75 | Franciscan University of Steubenville | Steubenville, OH |
| 78 | Georgetown University | Washington, DC |
| 78 | Stanford University | Stanford, CA |
| 80 | University of Oregon | Eugene, OR |
| 80 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA |
| 80 | Wayland Baptist University | Plainview, TX |
| 80 | Elyon College | Brooklyn, NY |
| 84 | The Graduate Center, CUNY | New York, NY |
| 84 | University of Scranton | Scranton, PA |
| 86 | University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS |
| 86 | University of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 86 | University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA |
| 86 | The New School | New York, NY |
| 90 | Colgate University | Hamilton, NY |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 159 | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
| 167 | Wesleyan University | Middletown, CT |
| 167 | Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA |
| 167 | Washington University in St Louis | Saint Louis, MO |
| 167 | Clemson University | Clemson, SC |
| 167 | Gettysburg College | Gettysburg, PA |
| 167 | Portland State University | Portland, OR |
| 167 | California State University - Chico | Chico, CA |
| 174 | Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN |
| 174 | Faith International University | Tacoma, WA |
| 174 | Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 174 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 174 | Hamilton College | Clinton, NY |
| 174 | University of Memphis | Memphis, TN |
| 174 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX |
| 174 | Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, PA |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies