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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy in California

57 Ranked Colleges
1,324 Degrees Awarded
$37,600 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California” ranking.

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

Across California, there were 1,814 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,324 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California” ranking, we looked at 57 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy in California

1
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Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Claremont McKenna

2
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Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Westmont College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 full report on Philosophy at Westmont College

3
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Pitzer College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pitzer College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. 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.

Full Pitzer Philosophy Report

4

Out of the 57 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the list. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 140 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Philosophy Report

5
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Occidental College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Oxy is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 8 bachelors’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 low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at Occidental College

6
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Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Scripps College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Philosophy at Scripps

7
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #7, Pomona College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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.

Read more about Philosophy at Pomona College

8
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Holy Names University
Oakland, California

Holy Names University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. This small school is located in Oakland, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Philosophy at Holy Names University

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 155 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA Philosophy Report

10

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at UC Santa Cruz

11
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Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at Santa Clara University

12
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Whittier College
Whittier, California

Whittier College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Whittier is a small school located in Whittier, California that handed out 4 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Whittier

13
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Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sonoma State University Philosophy Report

14

Saint Mary’s College of California landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Saint Mary’s College of California is located in Moraga, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 more about Philosophy at SMC

15

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 55 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCR Philosophy Report

16

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 101 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 University of California - Berkeley Philosophy Report

17

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 40 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

18
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

With a ranking of #18, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

Full Humboldt State University Philosophy Report

19
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University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. University of San Diego is a medium-sized school located in San Diego, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of San Diego Philosophy Report

20
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University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. USFCA is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 21 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of San Francisco

21
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California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Located in Thousand Oaks, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CLU Philosophy Report

22
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Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Chapman University Philosophy Report

23
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Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Los Angeles, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 full report on Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University

24

With a ranking of #24, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 57 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Philosophy Report

25
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San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at SFSU

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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