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Best Philosophy Schools in California

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2023 Best Philosophy Schools in California

16 Colleges
$28,527 Avg Salary
$16,062 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Philosophy School for You

Philosophy is the #59 most popular major in California with 1,876 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Philosophy Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 16 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Philosophy Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for philosophy majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Philosophy Schools

Our 2023 rankings named University of California - Davis the best school in California for philosophy students. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, philosophy graduates from UC Davis take out $13,200 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Davis

#2

Chapman University

Orange, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Chapman University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Philosophy Schools in California list. Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Orange.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Philosophy Schools in California list. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

After completing their degree, philosophy graduates from USC carry an average student debtload of $13,000.

Full Philosophy at University of Southern California Report

Out of the 16 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Philosophy majors at UCSB take out an average of $15,149 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Philosophy at University of California - Santa Barbara Report

#5

Biola University

La Mirada, CA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Biola University is a great place for philosophy students. Biola is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of La Mirada.

Read full report on Philosophy at Biola University

University of California - Berkeley landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best philosophy programs. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Philosophy majors at UC Berkeley take out an average of $15,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Berkeley

University of California - Riverside landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best philosophy programs. Located in the city of Riverside, UCR is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that philosophy majors at UCR take out is $20,135.

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California State University - Fresno did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for philosophy students. It came in at #8 on the list. Fresno State is a very large public school located in the city of Fresno.

On average, philosophy graduates from Fresno State take out $14,824 in student loans while working on their degree.

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With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on this year’s best schools for philosophy students. UC Santa Cruz is a large public school located in the city of Santa Cruz.

Philosophy majors at UC Santa Cruz take out an average of $17,500 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Santa Cruz

#10

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best philosophy programs. SFSU is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.

On average, philosophy graduates from SFSU take out $16,500 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Philosophy at San Francisco State University

Best Philosophy Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Philosophy Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 244
Oregon 107
Nevada 57
Hawaii 27
Alaska 4

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

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 16 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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