2023 Best Philosophy Schools
Finding the Best Philosophy School for You
Philosophy is the #84 most popular major in the country with 10,054 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Philosophy Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 83 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Philosophy Schools in the United States
Check out the philosophy programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Philosophy Schools
Our analysis found Duke University to be the best school for philosophy students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
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Out of the 83 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that philosophy majors at UPenn take out is $19,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $697.
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Out of the 83 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Catholic University of America landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Washington, CUA is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
While working on their degree, philosophy majors at CUA accumulate an average of around $19,500 in student debt.
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The excellent programs at Boston College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best philosophy schools in the United States. Boston College is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chestnut Hill.
On average, philosophy graduates from Boston College take out $17,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Philosophy Schools list. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public school with a very large student population.
Philosophy majors at UNC Chapel Hill take out an average of $19,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #6, Emory University did quite well on this year’s best schools for philosophy students. Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Philosophy majors at Emory take out an average of $23,955 in student loans while working on their egree.
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DePauw University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best philosophy programs. Located in the distant town of Greencastle, DePauw is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on this year’s best schools for philosophy students. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public school with a very large student population.
Philosophy majors at UW - Madison take out an average of $19,712 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #9, Vanderbilt University did quite well on this year’s best schools for philosophy students. Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
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The University of Texas at Austin landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best philosophy programs. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public school with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that philosophy majors at UT Austin take out is $19,986. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $189.
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Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Philosophy Schools ranking. Located in the city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that philosophy majors at ASU - Skysong take out is $23,733.
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University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Philosophy Schools list. UW Seattle is a very large public school located in the large city of Seattle.
On average, philosophy graduates from UW Seattle take out $14,370 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Philosophy at University of Washington - Seattle Campus Report
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Philosophy Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Wheaton College Illinois | Wheaton, IL |
| 14 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
| 15 | University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
| 16 | University of California - Davis | Davis, CA |
Philosophy by Region
View the Best Philosophy Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Philosophy Rankings
Philosophy Related Rankings by Major
Philosophy is one of 3 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Philosophy
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Religious Studies | 9,470 |
| Other Philosophy & Religious Studies | 285 |
| General Philosophy & Religious Studies | 184 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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