ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Philosophy Degree Guide

DEBUG: Raw major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies//philosophy"
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json", major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget

#83 Most Popular Major
9.8k Degrees Awarded
239 Schools Offering Degrees

Philosophy was the 83rd most popular major in the 2021-2022 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 9,787 degrees in this year alone.

ADBLOCK #159

This year's Best Philosophy Schools ranking compares 101 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom philosophy rankings further below.

2025 Best Colleges for Philosophy
2025 Overall Best Philosophy Colleges >

Best Philosophy Schools by Degree

Associate Degrees in Philosophy
Bachelor's Degrees in Philosophy
Master's Degrees in Philosophy
Doctorate Degrees in Philosophy
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies//philosophy"
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json", major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget

Requirements for Getting a Degree in Philosophy

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents is a required skill for philosophy majors. Required skills include using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems and talking to others to convey information effectively.

ADBLOCK #171

Getting Accepted Into a Philosophy Program

New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. In addition to these basic philosophy program qualifications, to serve in some philosophy careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.

Types of Philosophy Degrees

There are many different philosophy degree levels. Philosophy programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest philosophy degree you can get. The time it takes to complete a philosophy degree varies depending on the program.

DegreeCredit RequirementsTypical Program Length
Associate Degree60-70 credits2 years
Bachelor’s Degree120 credits4 years
Master’s Degree50-70 credits1-3 years
DoctorateProgram required coursework including thesis or dissertationAt least 4 years

A doctor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to philosophy, with approximately 42.5% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to philosophy tend obtained the following education levels.

Level of EducationPercentage of Workers
Doctoral Degree42.6%
Master’s Degree29.2%
Bachelor’s Degree16.4%
Post-Doctoral Training8.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate1.8%
ADBLOCK #172

Most workers in philosophy have at least a master's degree. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in philosophy careers have.

undefined

The education level required is different depending on the philosophy career you are seeking.

Philosophy Careers

Average Number of Jobs
$37.7k Average Starting Salary
11% Growth Job Outlook 2016-26

There are a variety of careers available to students who have a degree in Philosophy. These careers include law, copy writing, finance, religious leadership, marketing and sales, public relations, and work in the government. This degree gives you the skills to think logically and analyze situations making you an asset to many companies in a variety of industries. The job outlook for Philosophy graduates varies on the career they choose to go into. Some jobs may require additional training or certification.

Solid Growth Projected for Philosophy Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your philosophy degree? Philosophy careers are expected to grow 10.6% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to philosophy.

Occupation NameProjected JobsExpected Growth
Mathematical Science Professors66,6009.4%
Natural Sciences Managers62,3009.9%
Philosophy and Religion Professors35,70012.3%
Mathematicians4,00029.0%
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies//philosophy"
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json", major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget

How Much Money Do People With a Philosophy Degree Make?

Recently graduated philosophy students earned an average of $37,709 in <nil>. Earnings can range from as low as $10,363 to as high as $123,153. As you might expect, salaries for philosophy graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

undefined

High Paying Careers for Philosophy Majors

Salaries for philosophy graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers philosophy grads often go into.

Occupation NameMedian Average Salary
Natural Sciences Managers$139,680
Mathematicians$104,870
Mathematical Science Professors$87,140
Philosophy and Religion Professors$82,420
ADBLOCK #173

Getting Your Philosophy Degree

With over 1,770 different philosophy degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased philosophy school rankings to help you with this.

DEBUG: Raw major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies//philosophy"
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json", major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = "philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy"
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget

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

Philosophy Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Philosophy9,118
Other Philosophy309
Ethics182
Applied & Professional Ethics156
Logic22

View All Philosophy Concentrations >

ADBLOCK #174

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Religious Studies9,039
Other Philosophy & Religious Studies219
General Philosophy & Religious Studies186

View All Philosophy Related Majors >

ADBLOCK #115

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options