by our College Data Analytics TeamDiscover the essential details every philosophy, politics, and economics major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering philosophy, politics, and economics programs.
In the U.S., philosophy, politics, and economics is a widely-pursued major, with 164 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Schools ranking analyzes these 15 schools to determine the best overall colleges for philosophy, politics, and economics students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of philosophy, politics, and economics programs later in this article.
Programs in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations philosophy, politics, and economics graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a philosophy, politics, and economics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a philosophy, politics, and economics major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several philosophy, politics, and economics degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 158 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 6 |
People currently working in careers related to philosophy, politics, and economics tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 64.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 15.0% |
| Master’s degree | 8.7% |
| Post-doctoral training | 2.9% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 2.2% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 1.1% |
| Some college courses | 0.8% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.7% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in philosophy, politics, and economics careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in philosophy, politics, and economics can lead to many career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to philosophy, politics, and economics.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to philosophy, politics, and economics.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,638,816 | 11.6% |
| Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,031,835 | 3.7% |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | 830,747 | 2.9% |
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | 206,415 | 9.9% |
| Political Scientists | 202,741 | 5.4% |
Salaries for philosophy, politics, and economics graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers philosophy, politics, and economics grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
| Environmental Economists | $86,726 |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | $77,828 |
With 15 different philosophy, politics, and economics programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased philosophy, politics, and economics school rankings to help you.
Those considering philosophy, politics, and economics, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Philosophy, Politics, and Economics | 164 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 30,141 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 28,033 |
| Data Analytics | 12,891 |
| MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES | 10,355 |
| Data Science | 7,716 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 5,740 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 5,456 |
| Behavioral Sciences | 5,391 |
| Sustainability Studies | 4,374 |
| Cognitive Science | 3,121 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
