2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California
18
Ranked Colleges
91
Degrees Awarded
$35,800
Avg Cost*

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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2021-2022, 9,118 people earned their degree in philosophy, making the major the 86th most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 1,632 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 91 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,735 and $51,649 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in philosophy. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in philosophy.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Philosophy Schools
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 Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for california master’s degree philosophy students.
Top 18 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California. Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology is a small school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 3 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2021-2022.
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.
Full Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology Philosophy Report
Out of the 18 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Biola University landed the #2 spot on the list. Biola is located in La Mirada, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 masters’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Philosophy at Biola University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Francisco State University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 12 masters’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Philosophy at SFSU
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loyola Marymount University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 2 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2021-2022.
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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Philosophy at Loyola Marymount
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Philosophy at Stanford
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 6 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2021-2022.
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 Cal State LA Philosophy Report
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s philosophy degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Riverside
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Philosophy at UC Santa Cruz
San Jose State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 10 masters’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Philosophy at San Jose State
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified masters’s philosophy students in 2021-2022.
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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Los Angeles
San Diego State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 7 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 SDSU
University of California - Irvine came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s philosophy degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Irvine
University of California - Davis ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 masters’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full University of California - Davis Philosophy Report
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s philosophy degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Santa Barbara
California State University - Long Beach ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s philosophy students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.
Full CSULB Philosophy Report
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 1 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - San Diego Philosophy Report
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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 California - Berkeley
Claremont Graduate University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #18. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s philosophy degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
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%. 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.
Read more about Philosophy at Claremont Graduate University
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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.