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2023 Best Value Colleges for Philosophy (Income $30-$48k)

75 Ranked Colleges
9,487 Degrees Awarded
$6,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Philosophy is the 86th most popular major in the country with 9,487 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 75 colleges that offered a degree in philosophy. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality philosophy programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the philosophy program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Philosophy (Income $30-$48k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $-927 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Duke University Philosophy Report

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 75 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 38 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k list, UPenn has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $1,938 for Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full UPenn Philosophy Report

3
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 71 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $4,777 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Philosophy at UChicago

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 82 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Columbia also made our “Best Philosophy Schools” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,699 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at Columbia

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 35 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #7 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $4,652 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Vanderbilt University

6

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Philosophy Report

7
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 50 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $2,857 for Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UF Philosophy Report

8
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 95 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Boston College also made our “Best Philosophy Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $7,075 for Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Philosophy at Boston College

9

With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 73 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at UW - Madison

10

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,399 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Seattle.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Philosophy Report

11
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 65 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k list, Emory has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $8,976 for Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Philosophy at Emory

12

University of California - Berkeley ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 106 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #17 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,999 for Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at UC Berkeley

13
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 55 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $7,349 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at Florida State University

14

With a ranking of #14, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,598 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Davis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Davis

15

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,609 for Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at UMN Twin Cities

16

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. It costs about $10,628 for Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Arizona State University - Tempe

17

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,036 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at UIUC

18
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #18, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $10,063 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Virginia Philosophy Report

19

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 59 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,193 for Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Riverside

20

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,701 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Philosophy Report

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $4,655 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Fresno State

22
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 50 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

Boston U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston U is $11,782 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Boston University Philosophy Report

23
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

With a ranking of #23, Lehman College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lehman is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,381 for Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehman.

Read more about Philosophy at Lehman

24

Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $4,882 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at FIU

25

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 31 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,581 for philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Ohio State

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References

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