2026 Best Value Philosophy Schools in Missouri
[Philosophy](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong philosophy education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools to find the best return on investment for philosophy students.
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2026 Best Value Philosophy Schools in Missouri
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in philosophy, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Philosophy Schools
University Of Missouri St Louis tops our 2026 list of the best value philosophy schools in Missouri. University Of Missouri St Louis is a large public school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,120, with out-of-state students paying around $37,620. Philosophy graduates carry a median of $25,943 in student loans. Soon after graduation, philosophy degree recipients from University Of Missouri St Louis generally make around $53,079. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 63%.
Students looking for strong value in philosophy will find it at University Of Missouri Columbia, which ranked #2. University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. Students from in state pay about $14,837 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $36,056. Typical student debt for philosophy graduates is $21,818. Early-career philosophy graduates make about $53,134. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Washington University In St Louis is a great value for students pursuing a degree in philosophy, landing the #3 spot this year. Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of St. Louis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,790. Students borrow a median of $17,553 to complete the philosophy program here. Early-career philosophy graduates make about $68,303. That is a strong return on a $17,553 median debt. Roughly 12% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in philosophy will find it at Saint Louis University Main Campus, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Saint Louis University Main Campus is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $55,760. Philosophy graduates carry a median of $10,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, philosophy degree recipients from Saint Louis University Main Campus generally make around $65,599. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Saint Louis University Main Campus admits about 75% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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 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.
