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

2026 Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in Massachusetts

2 Colleges in the United States
346 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$55,313 Avg Early-Career Salary

Philosophy & Religious Studies degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 39 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for philosophy & religious studies students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget

Best Schools for Philosophy & Religious Studies in Massachusetts

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall philosophy & religious studies education in Massachusetts.

Top Schools in Philosophy & Religious Studies

1
Tufts University crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA

Tufts University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in philosophy & religious studies. Tufts University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Medford. Roughly 94% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 33 philosophy & religious studies degrees were awarded at Tufts University in the most recent year. Students who receive their philosophy & religious studies degree from Tufts University earn around $68,154 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $17,074. Read more about the philosophy & religious studies program at Tufts University

2
Harvard University crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA

Students looking for a strong philosophy & religious studies program will find one at Harvard University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 98%. Harvard University awarded about 85 philosophy & religious studies degrees in the most recent data year. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates of Harvard University earn a median of $95,207 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from Harvard University

3

Northeastern University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in philosophy & religious studies, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Boston, Northeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Northeastern University graduates 90% of students within six years. About 11 philosophy & religious studies degrees were awarded at Northeastern University in the most recent year. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates of Northeastern University earn a median of $74,800 early in their careers. Northeastern University graduates carry a median of $25,611 in student loans. See the full philosophy & religious studies program report for Northeastern University

4

Students looking for a strong philosophy & religious studies program will find one at Brandeis University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Waltham, Brandeis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Brandeis University graduates 86% of students within six years. Brandeis University awarded about 16 philosophy & religious studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients from Brandeis University generally make around $47,783. Brandeis University graduates carry a median of $25,653 in student loans. Get the full philosophy & religious studies details for Brandeis University

5
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA

Boston College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in philosophy & religious studies, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a large private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 91% of students complete a degree within six years here. Boston College awarded about 63 philosophy & religious studies degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their philosophy & religious studies degree from Boston College earn around $47,345 in the first couple years of their career. Boston College graduates carry a median of $18,000 in student loans. See the full philosophy & religious studies program report for Boston College

6
Wellesley College crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA

Wellesley College placed #6 among the best philosophy & religious studies schools. Wellesley College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wellesley. Wellesley College graduates 92% of students within six years. There were roughly 13 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Wellesley College in the most recent data year. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates of Wellesley College earn a median of $48,902 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $11,075. See the full philosophy & religious studies program report for Wellesley College

7
Boston University crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

Boston University came in at #7 for philosophy & religious studies this year. Set in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Boston University graduates 89% of students within six years. There were roughly 77 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Boston University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the philosophy & religious studies program make about $40,377 in their early career. Boston University graduates carry a median of $25,750 in student loans. Get the full philosophy & religious studies details for Boston University

8
Smith College crest
Smith College
Northampton, MA

Smith College landed the #8 spot for philosophy & religious studies this year. Set in the city of Northampton, Smith College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 89%. About 11 philosophy & religious studies degrees were awarded at Smith College in the most recent year. Philosophy & Religious Studies graduates of Smith College earn a median of $40,436 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $18,941. More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from Smith College

9

University Of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best philosophy & religious studies schools. University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a very large public school located in the city of Amherst. University Of Massachusetts Amherst graduates 83% of students within six years. There were roughly 26 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at University Of Massachusetts Amherst in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients from University Of Massachusetts Amherst generally make around $53,543. Typical student debt for the program is $25,234. Read more about the philosophy & religious studies program at University Of Massachusetts Amherst

10

University Of Massachusetts Boston ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best philosophy & religious studies schools. Set in the city of Boston, University Of Massachusetts Boston is a large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 49%. There were roughly 11 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at University Of Massachusetts Boston in the most recent data year. Graduates of the philosophy & religious studies program make about $36,581 in their early career. University Of Massachusetts Boston graduates carry a median of $26,236 in student loans. Get the full philosophy & religious studies details for University Of Massachusetts Boston

ADBLOCK #173
View All Philosophy & Religious Studies Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 39 schools evaluated.

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