2026 Best Philosophy Schools in the The Plains States Region
Philosophy programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 78 schools to find the best for philosophy students.
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Best Schools for Philosophy in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall philosophy education in the The Plains States Region.
Top Schools in Philosophy
No school ranked higher than Saint Louis University Main Campus this year for philosophy. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Saint Louis University Main Campus is a large private not-for-profit university. About 80% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 13 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at Saint Louis University Main Campus in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, philosophy degree recipients from Saint Louis University Main Campus generally make around $65,599. Students borrow a median of $10,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in philosophy from Saint Louis University Main Campus
Students looking for a strong philosophy program will find one at University Of Missouri Columbia, which ranked #2. University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. About 75% of students finish within six years. About 54 philosophy degrees were awarded at University Of Missouri Columbia in the most recent year. Philosophy graduates of University Of Missouri Columbia earn a median of $53,134 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $21,818 to complete this degree.
Read more about the philosophy program at University Of Missouri Columbia
University Of Mary is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in philosophy, landing the #3 spot this year. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the rural area of Bismarck. The six-year graduation rate is 67%. There were roughly 18 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at University Of Mary in the most recent data year. Students who receive their philosophy degree from University Of Mary earn around $65,565 in the first couple years of their career. University Of Mary graduates carry a median of $26,983 in student loans.
Get the full philosophy details for University Of Mary
University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in philosophy, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Paul. University Of St Thomas Minnesota graduates 77% of students within six years. About 19 philosophy degrees were awarded at University Of St Thomas Minnesota in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, philosophy degree recipients from University Of St Thomas Minnesota generally make around $65,183. University Of St Thomas Minnesota graduates carry a median of $18,201 in student loans.
Get the full philosophy details for University Of St Thomas Minnesota
Students looking for a strong philosophy program will find one at University Of Iowa, which ranked #5. This very large public university is located in the city of Iowa City. University Of Iowa graduates 75% of students within six years. About 13 philosophy degrees were awarded at University Of Iowa in the most recent year. Students who receive their philosophy degree from University Of Iowa earn around $57,375 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $26,260 to complete this degree.
See the full philosophy program report for University Of Iowa
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities came in at #6 for philosophy this year. This very large public university is located in the city of Minneapolis. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 28 philosophy degrees were awarded at University Of Minnesota Twin Cities in the most recent year. Philosophy graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $31,652 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $21,500.
Get the full philosophy details for University Of Minnesota Twin Cities
University Of Missouri St Louis ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best philosophy schools. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, University Of Missouri St Louis is a large public university. About 57% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 17 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at University Of Missouri St Louis in the most recent data year. Graduates of the philosophy program make about $53,079 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,943 to complete this degree.
Read more about the philosophy program at University Of Missouri St Louis
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 78 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
