2023 Most Popular Colleges for Philosophy
911
Ranked Colleges
9,487
Degrees Awarded
$36,400
Avg Cost*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Philosophy Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Philosophy is the 86th most popular major in the country with 9,487 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Philosophy Major” ranking, we looked at 911 colleges that offer a degree in philosophy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular philosophy programs in the United States.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Philosophy Major” list to help you make the college decision.
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.
Most Well Attended Philosophy Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for philosophy students.
Top 25 Most Popular Colleges for Philosophy
Out of the 911 schools in the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 166 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full UCLA Philosophy Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 144 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 91%.
Full UCSB Philosophy Report
Out of the 911 schools in the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 106 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Philosophy Report
Out of the 911 schools in the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Boston College landed the #4 spot on the list. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 95 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Boston College Philosophy Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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.
Read full report on Philosophy at New York University
Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #6. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 82 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 undergraduate 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.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Philosophy Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 ’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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Philosophy at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
With a ranking of #8, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 ’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full The University of Texas at Austin Philosophy Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 73 students in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UW - Madison Philosophy Report
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 72 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Chicago came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad 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 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Full UChicago Philosophy Report
University of Colorado Boulder ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this large public school awarded 70 diplomas to qualified ’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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 CU - Boulder Philosophy Report
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #13. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 67 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Philosophy at UC Santa Cruz
Emory University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 65 ’s philosophy 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 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Philosophy at Emory
Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #15. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 60 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Philosophy at Arizona State University - Tempe
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 93%.
Read full report on Philosophy at UW Seattle
Holy Apostles College and Seminary ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. Cromwell, Connecticut is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Holy Apostles College and Seminary Philosophy Report
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 59 ’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 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 more about Philosophy at UCR
University of California - Irvine landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 UC Irvine
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #19. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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 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%.
Full UC Davis Philosophy Report
California State University - Long Beach ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 58 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy students 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 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Philosophy at California State University - Long Beach
San Francisco State University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 56 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 San Francisco State University
Tulane University of Louisiana landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 55 diplomas to qualified ’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. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Philosophy at Tulane
Florida State University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full Florida State Philosophy Report
Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. Rutgers New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Rutgers New Brunswick Philosophy Report
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