2026 Most Popular Philosophy Schools
There are 913 colleges that offer a degree in Philosophy. The most popular schools, by student demand, are below:
Finding the Best Philosophy School for You
With all the Philosophy programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendance, there are many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 913 schools in the United States offering Philosophy programs. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.
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2026 Most Popular Philosophy Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the most popular for Philosophy majors.
Top 25 Most Popular Philosophy Schools
Our 2026 rankings named University of Pennsylvania the most popular school in the U.S. for Philosophy majors. University of Pennsylvania is a private nonprofit school located in Philadelphia, PA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 202 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $86,069. Full Philosophy at University of Pennsylvania Report
University of California-Los Angeles comes in at #2 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Philosophy majors. Located in Los Angeles, CA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 121 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $41,763. Read More…
Boston College landed the #3 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Located in Chestnut Hill, MA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 102 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $61,773. Read full report on Philosophy at Boston College
University of California-Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 102 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $38,259. Read More…
University of California-Berkeley landed the #5 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Located in Berkeley, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 96 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $57,445. Read More…
University of Washington-Seattle Campus comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Philosophy majors. Located in Seattle, WA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 96 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,990. Read More…
University of Southern California landed the #7 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Located in Los Angeles, CA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 92 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $63,275. Read More…
New York University comes in at #8 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Philosophy majors. New York University is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. This school awarded 86 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $59,956. Read full report on Philosophy at New York University
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #9 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 83 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $75,228. Read full report on Philosophy at Columbia University in the City of New York
University of Colorado Boulder comes in at #10 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Philosophy majors. Located in Boulder, CO, this is a public institution. This school awarded 83 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,932. Full Philosophy at University of Colorado Boulder Report
University of Chicago landed the #11 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. University of Chicago is a private nonprofit school located in Chicago, IL. During the most recent year for which we have data, 78 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $77,119. Full Philosophy at University of Chicago Report
University of Maryland-College Park comes in at #12 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Philosophy majors. University of Maryland-College Park is a public school located in College Park, MD. During the most recent year for which we have data, 78 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $56,509. Full Philosophy at University of Maryland-College Park Report
Boston University comes in at #13 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Philosophy majors. Located in Boston, MA, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 77 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $55,834. Read More…
University of Wisconsin-Madison landed the #14 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public school located in Madison, WI. This school awarded 67 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $53,379. Read full report on Philosophy at University of Wisconsin-Madison
Arizona State University Digital Immersion landed the #15 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Located in Scottsdale, AZ, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 65 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,210. Read More…
Emory University landed the #16 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Emory University is a private nonprofit school located in Atlanta, GA. This school awarded 63 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $61,856. Read More…
University of California-Davis comes in at #17 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Philosophy majors. University of California-Davis is a public school located in Davis, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 62 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $41,123. Read More…
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor landed the #18 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, MI, this is a public institution. This school awarded 62 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $64,597. Full Philosophy at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Report
University of California-Irvine landed the #19 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Located in Irvine, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 61 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,474. Read More…
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University comes in at #20 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Philosophy majors. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public school located in Blacksburg, VA. This school awarded 61 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $59,604. Read full report on Philosophy at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Harvard University comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Philosophy majors. Located in Cambridge, MA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 59 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $92,518. Read More…
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #22 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Located in Austin, TX, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 58 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $51,060. Full Philosophy at The University of Texas at Austin Report
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill comes in at #23 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Philosophy majors. Located in Chapel Hill, NC, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 56 people earned their degree in Philosophy from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $51,058. Read full report on Philosophy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Florida landed the #24 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Located in Gainesville, FL, this is a public institution. This school awarded 55 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,898. Read More…
Florida State University landed the #25 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking. Located in Tallahassee, FL, this is a public institution. This school awarded 54 degrees in Philosophy in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,895. Full Philosophy at Florida State University Report
Rest of the Top Most Popular Philosophy Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for this major that just missed the list above.
Philosophy by Region
View the Most Popular Philosophy Schools ranking for a specific region near you.
| Region |
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| New England |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Great Lakes |
| Plains States |
| Southeast |
| Southwest |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Far Western US |
More Philosophy Rankings
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular Philosophy Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Majors Related to Philosophy
Philosophy Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Philosophy | 8,253 |
| Other Philosophy | 328 |
| Applied & Professional Ethics | 234 |
| Ethics | 147 |
| Logic | 11 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Religious Studies | 9,248 |
| Other Philosophy & Religion | 224 |
| General Philosophy & Religion | 184 |
References
*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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