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2024 Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California

15 Colleges in California
2,113 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$30,148 Avg Early-Career Salary
You'll be studying one of the lesser sought-after majors if you pursue a degree in philosophy & religious studies. It is ranked #28 out of 38 major degree programs in terms of popularity. As such, your educational options may be more limited than if you were in a more popular field.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 15 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,113 degrees in philosophy & religious studies during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Philosophy & Religious Studies School

Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California The philosophy & religious studies program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Philosophy & Religious Studies rankings. We derive our Best Overall Philosophy & Religious Studies School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Philosophy & Religious Studies Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Philosophy & Religious Studies
Master's Degrees in Philosophy & Religious Studies
Doctor's Degrees in Philosophy & Religious Studies

The philosophy & religious studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Philosophy & Religious Studies in California

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the philosophy & religious studies degree levels they offer.

10 Top California Schools in Philosophy & Religious Studies

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
77 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$28,506 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a degree in philosophy & religious studies. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 77 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients typically earn around $28,506 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of Southern California

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
4.2% Growth in Graduates

University of California - Davis is a good choice for students interested in a degree in philosophy & religious studies. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were about 71 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Philosophy & Religious Studies degree recipients from University of California - Davis get an earnings boost of around $4,549 over the typical income of philosophy & religious studies graduates.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of California - Davis

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$23,934 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Berkeley is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in philosophy & religious studies. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 91 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the philosophy & religious studies program report average early career wages of $23,934.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of California - Berkeley

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
156 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$25,963 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in philosophy & religious studies needs to look into University of California - Santa Barbara. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were about 156 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the philosophy & religious studies program earn about $25,963 for their early career.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of California - Santa Barbara

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$28,735 Median Starting Salary

UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Santa Cruz. A Best Colleges rank of #102 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.

There were about 67 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients usually earn an average of $28,735 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of California - Santa Cruz

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$26,851 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 36th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 68 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the philosophy & religious studies program earn around $26,851 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of California - Riverside

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
28.0% Growth in Graduates
$38,923 Median Starting Salary

Chapman is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Orange. A Best Colleges rank of #191 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Chapman is a great university overall.

There were roughly 25 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent year we have data available. Those philosophy & religious studies students who get their degree from Chapman University make $8,775 more than the typical philosophy & religious studies student.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from Chapman University

8
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$61,522 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of La Mirada, Biola is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 58th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 54 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Biola in the most recent year we have data available. Those philosophy & religious studies students who get their degree from Biola University earn $31,374 more than the standard philosophy & religious studies graduate.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from Biola University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$34,537 Median Starting Salary

SFSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Francisco. A Best Colleges rank of #204 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SFSU is a great university overall.

There were about 58 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent year we have data available. Philosophy & Religious Studies degree recipients from San Francisco State University earn a boost of approximately $4,389 above the average earnings of philosophy & religious studies graduates.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from San Francisco State University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46.4% Growth in Graduates
$32,024 Median Starting Salary

Fresno State is a very large public university located in the large city of Fresno. This university ranks 74th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 28 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Fresno State in the most recent data year. After graduating, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients usually make about $32,024 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from California State University - Fresno

Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Washington37331
Oregon37135
Hawaii3647
Nevada3557
Alaska334

View All Rankings >

Philosophy & Religious Studies Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Philosophy1,693
Religious Studies338
Other Philosophy & Religious Studies66
General Philosophy & Religious Studies16

View All Philosophy & Religious Studies Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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