Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Philosophy

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

166 Ranked Colleges
7,882 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Philosophy is the 82nd most popular major in the country with 9,456 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,882 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 166 colleges that offer a degree in philosophy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great philosophy programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the philosophy program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $4,150 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Philosophy at Duke University

#2

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 166 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #1 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,752 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The impressive 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.

Read more about Philosophy at UPenn

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 21 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Northwestern has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $6,452 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Northwestern

#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 70 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #4 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $7,934 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at UChicago

#5

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dartmouth College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. This medium-sized school is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dartmouth, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $9,044 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Dartmouth Philosophy Report

#8 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $5,887 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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.

Read full report on Philosophy at Columbia

#7

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#12 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $8,086 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Full Vanderbilt University Philosophy Report

#8

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University also took the #5 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $12,004 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Philosophy at Wake Forest University

#9

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#7 in overall quality

Cornell University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 22 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cornell has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $11,869 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Philosophy at Cornell

#10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 36 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #11 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,028 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 58 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $9,694 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#12

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $8,528 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 students.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Florida

#13

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, William & Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $11,721 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 William & Mary Philosophy Report

#14

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,060 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 95%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Madison is in the top on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $13,227 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 95%.

Read more about Philosophy at UW - Madison

#16

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#22 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 127 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,081 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Philosophy at UCLA

#17

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#14 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 30 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,768 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Notre Dame.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Philosophy at Notre Dame

#18

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Hunter is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 27 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $6,894 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at Hunter

#19

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#6 in overall quality

Boston College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 78 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $17,113 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Philosophy at Boston College

Florida International University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $10,298 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full FIU Philosophy Report

#21

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

Florida State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,583 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at Florida State University

#22

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

With a ranking of #22, Lehman College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lehman College is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 30 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,993 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lehman College.

Read full report on Philosophy at Lehman

#23

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
Top 25% in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 97 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,081 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Berkeley

California State University - Long Beach ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,807 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at California State University - Long Beach

John Jay College of Criminal Justice came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. John Jay is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 16 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,751 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend John Jay.

Read full report on Philosophy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Featured Philosophy and Religious Studies Schools

Find Schools Near You