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Philosophy & Religious Studies

Types of Degrees Philosophy & Religious Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Philosophy & Religious Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	43
Associate’s Degree	1,781
Bachelor’s Degree	12,893
Master’s Degree	3,216
Doctor’s Degree	695

What Philosophy & Religious Studies Majors Need to Know

Programs in Philosophy & Religious Studies build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Philosophy & Religious Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Philosophy and Theology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Philosophy & Religious Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Philosophy & Religious Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Philosophy & Religious Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates include:

• College Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Professor
• College Professor
• Associate Professor
• Humanities Professor
• Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Religious Educator
• Church Music Professor
• Religion Professor
• Metaphysics Teacher
• Adjunct Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	67.4%
Master’s degree	16.6%
Post-doctoral training	10.6%
Bachelor’s degree	2.8%
Post-master’s certificate	1.1%
Postsecondary certificate	0.4%
Some college courses	0.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%
First professional degree	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Philosophy & Religious Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 65.9% of Philosophy & Religious Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6,354	34.1%
Men	12,275	65.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	12,679	68.1%
Asian	813	4.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1,842	9.9%
Black or African American	850	4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	33	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	13	0.1%
Two or More Races	623	3.3%
Race Unknown	702	3.8%
International Students	1,074	5.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Philosophy & Religious Studies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,072
4 years	$39,740
5 years	$47,196

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $47,196 — roughly 47% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Philosophy & Religious Studies Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Philosophy & Religious Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	36	25
Bachelor’s	61	59
Master’s	49	29
Doctoral (Research)	6	8

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Philosophy & Religious Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates earn a median of $39,740 four years after completion — roughly 5% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.