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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major

102 Ranked Colleges
360 Degrees Awarded
$34,900 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 9,487 people earned their degree in philosophy, making the major the 86th most popular in the United States.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 360 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” ranking looked at 102 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.

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The philosophy 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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major

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

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Chicago Theological Seminary. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s philosophy degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Chicago Theological Seminary

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major. Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 6 doctorate’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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary Philosophy Report

3
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The New School. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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 The New School Philosophy Report

4
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The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

Out of the 102 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The Graduate Center, CUNY landed the #4 spot on the list. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a medium-sized school located in New York, New York that handed out 8 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Philosophy at The Graduate Center, CUNY

5
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University of Dallas
Irving, Texas

Out of the 102 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Dallas landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Irving, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified doctorate’s philosophy students 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Dallas

6
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Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Duquesne University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Duquesne

7
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Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stanford University Philosophy Report

8
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Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #8, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Emory is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 doctorate’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Philosophy at Emory

9

University of St. Thomas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #9. University of St. Thomas is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 2 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at UST

10
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Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia

Catholic University of America did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #10. Catholic University of America is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 3 doctorate’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Catholic University of America

11
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Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #11, Villanova University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Villanova is a private not-for-profit institution located in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

12
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

Claremont Graduate University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #12. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s philosophy degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 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 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at Claremont Graduate University

13
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Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #13, Saint Louis University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. SLU is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 5 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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 Saint Louis University

14
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Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Princeton University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 3 doctorate’s philosophy degrees 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Princeton University Philosophy Report

15
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s philosophy degrees to 7 students 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 freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Philosophy at Boston College

16
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 5 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Philosophy at MIT

17
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University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

With a ranking of #17, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 6 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full University of Notre Dame Philosophy Report

18
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Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana

Tulane University of Louisiana did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #18. Tulane is located in New Orleans, Louisiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Tulane Philosophy Report

19
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Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #19, Marquette University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Marquette is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 4 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Philosophy at Marquette University

20
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Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s philosophy 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 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Vanderbilt University

21
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Yale University is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 4 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Yale

22
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Fordham University
Bronx, New York

With a ranking of #22, Fordham University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Fordham U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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 full report on Philosophy at Fordham U

23

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #23. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 3 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Philosophy Report

24
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

With a ranking of #24, Stony Brook University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Located in Stony Brook, New York, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Full Stony Brook University Philosophy Report

25
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 2 doctorate’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, 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 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.

Full Rice Philosophy Report

Notes and References

References

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