by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Philosophy is the 86th most popular major in the country with 9,487 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” ranking looked at 911 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in philosophy. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their philosophy program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The colleges and universities below are the best for philosophy students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint John Vianney College Seminary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Saint John Vianney College Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 16 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Philosophy at Saint John Vianney College Seminary
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Conception Seminary College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Conception Seminary College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Conception, Missouri. It awarded 16 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Philosophy at Conception Seminary College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major. Berkeley, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Philosophy at The Domincan School Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Divine Word College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Divine Word College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Epworth, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Holy Apostles College and Seminary. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. This small school is located in Cromwell, Connecticut, and it awarded 60 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Philosophy at Holy Apostles College and Seminary
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. It awarded 22 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Read full report on Philosophy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook
Mount Angel Seminary came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Mount Angel Seminary is a small school located in Saint Benedict, Oregon that handed out 8 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #8, Sacred Heart Major Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. SHMS is a private not-for-profit institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Chicago Theological Seminary ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Chicago Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 5 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Philosophy at Chicago Theological Seminary
Pontifical College Josephinum ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Philosophy at Pontifical College Josephinum
Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #11. Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Philosophy at Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary
Franciscan University of Steubenville did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #12. Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private not-for-profit institution located in Steubenville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville
Claremont McKenna College ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
St Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #14. St Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Hillsdale College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Hillsdale, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
University of Dallas landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. University of Dallas is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irving, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Wabash College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #17. Wabash College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Kenyon College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #18. Kenyon College is located in Gambier, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Hamilton College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Hamilton College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Clinton, New York. It awarded 19 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, 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 92%. 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.
With a ranking of #20, Sweet Briar College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. This small school is located in Sweet Briar, Virginia, and it awarded 2 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Catholic University of America ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Catholic University of America is a medium-sized school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 51 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Philosophy at Catholic University of America
Lake Forest College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Principia College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Principia is located in Elsah, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #24. Geneva, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Westmont College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Oberlin College | Oberlin, OH |
| 52 | Boston College | Chestnut Hill, MA |
| 53 | The College of Wooster | Wooster, OH |
| 54 | Williams College | Williamstown, MA |
| 55 | Wheaton College Illinois | Wheaton, IL |
| 56 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 57 | College of the Holy Cross | Worcester, MA |
| 58 | Reed College | Portland, OR |
| 59 | Ursinus College | Collegeville, PA |
| 60 | Trinity College | Hartford, CT |
| 61 | Loras College | Dubuque, IA |
| 62 | Westminster College Missouri | Fulton, MO |
| 63 | Whitman College | Walla Walla, WA |
| 64 | University of Puget Sound | Tacoma, WA |
| 65 | Wesleyan University | Middletown, CT |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Macalester College | Saint Paul, MN |
| 67 | Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr, PA |
| 68 | Wheaton College Massachusetts | Norton, MA |
| 68 | Transylvania University | Lexington, KY |
| 70 | Washington & Jefferson College | Washington, PA |
| 71 | McDaniel College | Westminster, MD |
| 72 | Occidental College | Los Angeles, CA |
| 73 | Augustana College | Rock Island, IL |
| 74 | Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 75 | Goucher College | Baltimore, MD |
| 76 | Earlham College | Richmond, IN |
| 77 | Hanover College | Hanover, IN |
| 78 | Princeton University | Princeton, NJ |
| 79 | Spring Hill College | Mobile, AL |
| 80 | Scripps College | Claremont, CA |
| 80 | Fort Lewis College | Durango, CO |
| 82 | Coe College | Cedar Rapids, IA |
| 83 | University of Mary | Bismarck, ND |
| 84 | The College of Idaho | Caldwell, ID |
| 85 | St Lawrence University | Canton, NY |
| 86 | Swarthmore College | Swarthmore, PA |
| 87 | Bowdoin College | Brunswick, ME |
| 88 | Saint Michael’s College | Colchester, VT |
| 89 | Connecticut College | New London, CT |
| 90 | Thiel College | Greenville, PA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | Wofford College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 92 | Newman University | Wichita, KS |
| 93 | Colby College | Waterville, ME |
| 94 | The New School | New York, NY |
| 95 | Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT |
| 96 | St Olaf College | Northfield, MN |
| 97 | Brandeis University | Waltham, MA |
| 98 | The Graduate Center, CUNY | New York, NY |
| 99 | Albion College | Albion, MI |
| 100 | Hollins University | Roanoke, VA |
| 101 | United States Military Academy | West Point, NY |
| 102 | Hiram College | Hiram, OH |
| 103 | Mount St Mary’s University | Emmitsburg, MD |
| 104 | Taylor University | Upland, IN |
| 105 | Eckerd College | Saint Petersburg, FL |
| 106 | Franklin and Marshall College | Lancaster, PA |
| 107 | Emory University | Atlanta, GA |
| 108 | Oglethorpe University | Atlanta, GA |
| 109 | Centenary College of Louisiana | Shreveport, LA |
| 110 | Pomona College | Claremont, CA |
| 111 | Lafayette College | Easton, PA |
| 112 | Covenant College | Lookout Mountain, GA |
| 113 | Spelman College | Atlanta, GA |
| 114 | Wells College | Aurora, NY |
| 115 | Ave Maria University | Ave Maria, FL |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 116 | Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA |
| 117 | Wittenberg University | Springfield, OH |
| 118 | Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs, NY |
| 119 | Manhattanville College | Purchase, NY |
| 120 | Allegheny College | Meadville, PA |
| 121 | Rollins College | Winter Park, FL |
| 122 | University of St Thomas Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN |
| 123 | Willamette University | Salem, OR |
| 124 | Christopher Newport University | Newport News, VA |
| 125 | Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley, MA |
| 126 | University of Hawaii at Hilo | Hilo, HI |
| 127 | Calvin University | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 128 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 129 | Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH |
| 130 | Central College | Pella, IA |
| 131 | Hendrix College | Conway, AR |
| 132 | University of California - Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA |
| 133 | Bennington College | Bennington, VT |
| 134 | Grove City College | Grove City, PA |
| 135 | Union College New York | Schenectady, NY |
| 136 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA |
| 137 | University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
