2026 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in Texas
[Philosophy & Religious Studies](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong philosophy & religious studies education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 59 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value philosophy & religious studies schools.
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2026 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in Texas
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the philosophy & religious studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools
Rice University earned the #1 spot for value among philosophy & religious studies schools in Texas. Set in the city of Houston, Rice University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $61,247. Students borrow a median of $11,904 to complete the philosophy & religious studies program here. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates of Rice University earn a median of $75,299 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,904 median debt. Rice University admits about 8% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in philosophy & religious studies will find it at The University Of Texas Pan American, which ranked #2. The University Of Texas Pan American is a very large public school located in the city of Edinburg. In-state tuition and fees average $9,799, with out-of-state students paying around $19,645. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates carry a median of $13,000 in student loans. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates of The University Of Texas Pan American earn a median of $14,151 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $13,000 median debt. The University Of Texas Pan American admits about 94% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At San Antonio came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value philosophy & religious studies schools. The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a very large public school located in the city of San Antonio. Students from in state pay about $9,326 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,249. Typical student debt for philosophy & religious studies graduates is $20,542. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates of The University Of Texas At San Antonio earn a median of $49,955 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Houston one of the best values for philosophy & religious studies. Located in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,717, with out-of-state students paying around $22,547. Typical student debt for philosophy & religious studies graduates is $23,650. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates of University Of Houston earn a median of $57,529 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 74%.
University Of North Texas came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value philosophy & religious studies schools. Set in the city of Denton, University Of North Texas is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,309 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,149. Students borrow a median of $17,750 to complete the philosophy & religious studies program here. Soon after graduation, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients from University Of North Texas generally make around $37,231. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
The University Of Texas At Arlington ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value philosophy & religious studies schools. Located in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,950 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $29,582. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates carry a median of $21,632 in student loans. Soon after graduation, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Arlington generally make around $55,304. That is a strong return on a $21,632 median debt. The University Of Texas At Arlington admits about 80% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Dallas ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value philosophy & religious studies schools. The University Of Texas At Dallas is a very large public school located in the city of Richardson. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,644, with out-of-state students paying around $40,144. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates carry a median of $20,531 in student loans. Soon after graduation, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Dallas generally make around $58,507. That is a strong return on a $20,531 median debt. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Texas State University San Marcos earned the #8 position for value in philosophy & religious studies this year. Located in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,450, with out-of-state students paying around $22,930. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the philosophy & religious studies program here. Early-career philosophy & religious studies graduates make about $27,893. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
University Of St Thomas Texas came in at #9 for value in philosophy & religious studies this year. Located in the city of Houston, University Of St Thomas Texas is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,634. Students borrow a median of $23,628 to complete the philosophy & religious studies program here. Soon after graduation, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients from University Of St Thomas Texas generally make around $58,265. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of St Thomas Texas admits about 90% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Austin earned the #10 position for value in philosophy & religious studies this year. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,688 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates carry a median of $18,676 in student loans. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $40,881 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Texas Tech University came in at #11 for value in philosophy & religious studies this year. Set in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,852, while out-of-state students pay about $24,157. Typical student debt for philosophy & religious studies graduates is $24,271. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates of Texas Tech University earn a median of $50,332 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,271 median debt. Texas Tech University admits about 73% of applicants.
Wayland Baptist University earned the #12 position for value in philosophy & religious studies this year. Set in the town of Plainview, Wayland Baptist University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $23,782. Typical student debt for philosophy & religious studies graduates is $30,204. Early-career philosophy & religious studies graduates make about $51,930. That is a strong return on a $30,204 median debt. Roughly 56% of applicants are accepted.
Texas A And M University College Station placed #13 among the best values for philosophy & religious studies. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,995, with out-of-state students paying around $40,124. Students borrow a median of $19,000 to complete the philosophy & religious studies program here. Soon after graduation, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station generally make around $30,058. Set against $19,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Texas A And M University College Station admits about 57% of applicants.
University Of Dallas landed the #14 spot for philosophy & religious studies value this year. University Of Dallas is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Irving. Students from in state pay about $53,930 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for philosophy & religious studies graduates is $23,411. Soon after graduation, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients from University Of Dallas generally make around $58,396. Set against $23,411 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 53% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Methodist University ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best value philosophy & religious studies schools. Located in the suburb of Dallas, Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $67,040. Typical student debt for philosophy & religious studies graduates is $21,500. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates of Southern Methodist University earn a median of $42,334 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,500 median debt. Southern Methodist University admits about 63% of applicants.
Baylor University landed the #16 spot for philosophy & religious studies value this year. Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waco. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,100. Students borrow a median of $25,612 to complete the philosophy & religious studies program here. Early-career philosophy & religious studies graduates make about $31,672. Set against $25,612 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Baylor University admits about 51% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 59 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
