Philosophy: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Philosophy is a rigorous academic discipline dedicated to exploring fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, and reality. It cultivates critical thinking and analytical precision by examining the assumptions, structures, and implications behind human thought and experience across diverse domains.
- Logic: The systematic study of valid reasoning and argumentation, focusing on identifying sound inference patterns and detecting fallacies in discourse.
- Ethics: The examination of moral principles and values, exploring questions about right and wrong, justice, responsibility, and the nature of a good life.
- Aesthetics: The philosophical investigation of art, beauty, taste, and sensory experience, analyzing what makes something valuable or meaningful in artistic and cultural contexts.
- Epistemology: The study of knowledge itself—its origins, nature, limits, and justification—addressing how we come to know what we claim to know.
- Metaphysics: The branch concerned with the fundamental nature of reality, including concepts such as being, time, causality, identity, and the relationship between mind and matter.
- Symbolism: The analysis of signs, symbols, and their role in conveying meaning, particularly in language, culture, and abstract thought systems.
- History of Philosophy: A chronological exploration of major thinkers, schools of thought, and intellectual developments from ancient to contemporary periods across global traditions.
- Interdisciplinary Applications: The integration of philosophical methods and insights into fields such as science, law, politics, technology, and the humanities to strengthen theoretical foundations and ethical frameworks.
Philosophy Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Philosophy Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Philosophy degrees, including Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 20,840 professionals.
National Average Salaries
| Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1126 | $78,050 | $47,550 - $134,910 | 20,840 | N/A |
Philosophy Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $40,340 in South Dakota to $103,210 in California—a 156% difference. The highest-paying states include California, New York, and Maine. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 20,840 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Philosophy by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 100 institutions offering Philosophy programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Philosophy is found at University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles (121 graduates), University of California (UCSB), Santa Barbara (102 graduates), Boston College (BC) (102 graduates), University of California (UCB), Berkeley (96 graduates), and New York University (NYU) (86 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 4,120 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
| College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California (UCLA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
121 | Los Angeles, California | Public | ucla.edu |
| University of California (UCSB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
102 | Santa Barbara, California | Public | ucsb.edu |
| Boston College (BC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
102 | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | Private | bc.edu |
| University of California (UCB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
96 | Berkeley, California | Public | berkeley.edu |
| New York University (NYU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
86 | New York, New York | Private | nyu.edu |
| University of Colorado Boulder (CU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
83 | Boulder, Colorado | Public | colorado.edu |
| Columbia University in the City of New York |
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
83 | New York, New York | Private | columbia.edu |
| University of Chicago (UChicago) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
78 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | uchicago.edu |
| University of Washington (UW) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
78 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
| Boston University (BU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
77 | Boston, Massachusetts | Private | bu.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
67 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| Arizona State University |
Bachelor's
|
65 | Scottsdale, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| Emory University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
63 | Atlanta, Georgia | Private | emory.edu |
| University of California (UCD) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
62 | Davis, California | Public | ucdavis.edu |
| University of Michigan (U‑M) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
62 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Public | umich.edu |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
61 | Blacksburg, Virginia | Public | vt.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
58 | Austin, Texas | Public | utexas.edu |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
56 | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Public | unc.edu |
| University of Florida (UF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
55 | Gainesville, Florida | Public | ufl.edu |
| Florida State University (FSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
54 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
| University of Missouri (Mizzou) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
Other Award
|
54 | Columbia, Missouri | Public | missouri.edu |
| University of Pittsburgh |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
54 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Public | pitt.edu |
| University of California (UCI) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
53 | Irvine, California | Public | uci.edu |
| University of California (UCSC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
53 | Santa Cruz, California | Public | ucsc.edu |
| University of Notre Dame (ND) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
52 | Notre Dame, Indiana | Private | nd.edu |
| Holy Apostles College and Seminary |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
48 | Cromwell, Connecticut | Private | holyapostles.edu |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
47 | Tempe, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| Tufts University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
47 | Medford, Massachusetts | Private | tufts.edu |
| The New School |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
47 | New York, New York | Private | newschool.edu |
| Franciscan University of Steubenville |
Associate's
Bachelor's
Master's
|
45 | Steubenville, Ohio | Private | franciscan.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
45 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | psu.edu |
| Harvard University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
41 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Private | harvard.edu |
| Cornell University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
41 | Ithaca, New York | Private | cornell.edu |
| University of Virginia (UVA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
41 | Charlottesville, Virginia | Public | virginia.edu |
| Loyola University Chicago (LUC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
40 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | luc.edu |
| University of Houston (UH) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
39 | Houston, Texas | Public | uh.edu |
| University of Georgia (UGA) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
37 | Athens, Georgia | Public | uga.edu |
| Tulane University of Louisiana |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
37 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Private | tulane.edu |
| Princeton University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
37 | Princeton, New Jersey | Private | princeton.edu |
| Brown University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
37 | Providence, Rhode Island | Private | brown.edu |
| Stanford University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
37 | Stanford, California | Private | stanford.edu |
| University of Oregon (UO) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
36 | Eugene, Oregon | Public | uoregon.edu |
| California State University (CSULB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
35 | Long Beach, California | Public | csulb.edu |
| Georgia State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
35 | Atlanta, Georgia | Public | gsu.edu |
| University of Pennsylvania (Penn) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
35 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | upenn.edu |
| University of Scranton |
Bachelor's
|
35 | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Private | scranton.edu |
| University of California (UCSD) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
34 | La Jolla, California | Public | ucsd.edu |
| University of New Mexico (UNM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
34 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Public | unm.edu |
| University of Arizona |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
33 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
| San Diego State University (SDSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
33 | San Diego, California | Public | sdsu.edu |
| San Francisco State University (SFSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
33 | San Francisco, California | Public | sfsu.edu |
| Yale University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
33 | New Haven, Connecticut | Private | yale.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
33 | Amherst, Massachusetts | Public | umass.edu |
| University of California (UCR) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
32 | Riverside, California | Public | ucr.edu |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
32 | Champaign, Illinois | Public | illinois.edu |
| University of Minnesota (UMN) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
32 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Public | twin-cities.umn.edu |
| California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) |
Bachelor's
|
31 | San Luis Obispo, California | Public | calpoly.edu |
| The Catholic University of America |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
31 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | catholic.edu |
| Fordham University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
31 | Bronx, New York | Private | fordham.edu |
| Texas State University (TXST) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
31 | San Marcos, Texas | Public | txst.edu |
| Purdue University (PU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
31 | West Lafayette, Indiana | Public | purdue.edu |
| Biola University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
30 | La Mirada, California | Private | biola.edu |
| University of South Florida (USF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
30 | Tampa, Florida | Public | usf.edu |
| University of St Thomas |
Bachelor's
|
30 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Private | stthomas.edu |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) |
Bachelor's
|
30 | Greensboro, North Carolina | Public | uncg.edu |
| William & Mary (W&M) |
Bachelor's
|
30 | Williamsburg, Virginia | Public | wm.edu |
| San Jose State University (SJSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
29 | San Jose, California | Public | sjsu.edu |
| DePaul University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
29 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | depaul.edu |
| University of Kansas (KU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
Other Award
|
29 | Lawrence, Kansas | Public | ku.edu |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
29 | New York, New York | Public | gc.cuny.edu |
| Colgate University |
Bachelor's
|
28 | Hamilton, New York | Private | colgate.edu |
| Southern Methodist University (SMU) |
Bachelor's
|
28 | Dallas, Texas | Private | smu.edu |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) |
Bachelor's
|
27 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Public | uccs.edu |
| Indiana University (IUB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
27 | Bloomington, Indiana | Public | indiana.edu |
| Rutgers University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
27 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Public | newbrunswick.rutgers.edu |
| Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) |
Bachelor's
|
27 | Richmond, Virginia | Public | vcu.edu |
| California State University |
Bachelor's
|
26 | Fresno, California | Public | fresnostate.edu |
| University of Southern California (USC) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
26 | Los Angeles, California | Private | usc.edu |
| University of Central Florida (UCF) |
Bachelor's
|
26 | Orlando, Florida | Public | ucf.edu |
| Florida International University (FIU) |
Bachelor's
|
26 | Miami, Florida | Public | fiu.edu |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
26 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Public | lsu.edu |
| Brandeis University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
26 | Waltham, Massachusetts | Private | brandeis.edu |
| California State University (CSUF) |
Bachelor's
|
25 | Fullerton, California | Public | fullerton.edu |
| Loyola Marymount University (LMU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
25 | Los Angeles, California | Private | lmu.edu |
| Colorado State University (CSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
25 | Fort Collins, Colorado | Public | colostate.edu |
| Baylor University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
25 | Waco, Texas | Private | baylor.edu |
| University of Utah (U of U) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
25 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
| Marquette University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
25 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Private | marquette.edu |
| Johns Hopkins University (JHU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
24 | Baltimore, Maryland | Private | jhu.edu |
| University of Nevada (UNLV) |
Bachelor's
|
24 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Public | unlv.edu |
| Dartmouth College |
Bachelor's
|
24 | Hanover, New Hampshire | Private | dartmouth.edu |
| Syracuse University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
24 | Syracuse, New York | Private | syracuse.edu |
| Tiffin University (TU) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
24 | Tiffin, Ohio | Private | tiffin.edu |
| University of Dallas (UD) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
24 | Irving, Texas | Private | udallas.edu |
| University of North Texas (UNT) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
24 | Denton, Texas | Public | unt.edu |
| California State University (CSUN) |
Bachelor's
|
23 | Northridge, California | Public | csun.edu |
| University of Connecticut (UConn) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
23 | Storrs, Connecticut | Public | uconn.edu |
| Binghamton University |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
23 | Vestal, New York | Public | binghamton.edu |
| Ohio State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
23 | Columbus, Ohio | Public | osu.edu |
| Temple University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
23 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Public | temple.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Philosophy programs
How much can I earn with a Philosophy degree?
Salaries for Philosophy graduates vary by role and location. Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $78,050 annually. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $103,210 compared to $40,340 in South Dakota. Approximately 20,840 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Philosophy programs?
Currently 755 accredited institutions offer Philosophy degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles (121 graduates), University of California (UCSB), Santa Barbara (102 graduates), and Boston College (BC) (102 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Philosophy growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have decreased over the past decade, rising from 10,529 in 2010 to a peak of 9,470 in 2020, before declining slightly to 8,253 in 2023-24. This represents a 22% decrease overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with consistent demand, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Philosophy degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary. Related occupations employ approximately 20,840 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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