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2023 Best Value Colleges for Philosophy (Income $48-$75k)

76 Ranked Colleges
10,054 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 10,054 people earned their degree in philosophy, making the major the 83rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, philosophy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,510 and had an average of $21,514 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 76 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in philosophy. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent philosophy programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the philosophy program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Philosophy (Income $48-$75k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke also took the #2 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,160 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Duke University.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at Duke

2

Out of the 76 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 82 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Columbia has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,106 for philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Columbia.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read more about Philosophy at Columbia

3
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. 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.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $8,375 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Chicago

4
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 206 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also took the #1 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $12,020 for philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full UPenn Philosophy Report

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $7,694 for philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Vanderbilt

6

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 64 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Philosophy Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $8,393 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

7

With a ranking of #7, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 72 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,619 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 more about Philosophy at UNC Chapel Hill

8
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 50 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $8,394 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 97%.

Read more about Philosophy at UF

9

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $10,364 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read full report on Philosophy at UW - Madison

10

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 58 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Philosophy Schools” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $14,193 for philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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%.

Full UC Davis Philosophy Report

11

University of California - Berkeley ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 106 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

12
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It awarded 95 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston College, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $17,098 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Philosophy at Boston College

13
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 55 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $11,506 for philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 95%.

Read more about Philosophy at Florida State

14
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $16,019 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Virginia

15

University of California - Riverside came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,126 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCR.

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

16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 44 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $12,911 for philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

17
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 48 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Philosophy Schools” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $14,020 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Notre Dame

18

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 62 students in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe also took the #25 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,561 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, 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 86%.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Philosophy Report

19

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,700 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Philosophy Report

20
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 65 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emory, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,646 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Emory.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Emory University Philosophy Report

21

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 73 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin also took the #20 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,134 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Austin Philosophy Report

22

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 144 students in 2020-2021.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $14,583 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Santa Barbara

23

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $11,505 for philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Philosophy at UIUC

24

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 15 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $8,030 for philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Philosophy Report

25

Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $7,292 for Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Florida International University

Notes and References

References

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