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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy (Income $48-$75k)

168 Ranked Colleges
8,207 Degrees Awarded
$28,762 Avg Salary
Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

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 “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 10,015 people earned their degree in philosophy, making the major the 81st most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, philosophy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,067 and had an average of $22,199 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,207 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 168 colleges that offered a degree in philosophy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great philosophy programs and 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,150 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Duke.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Philosophy at Duke

#2

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 158 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k list, UPenn has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $12,752 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 students.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Pennsylvania

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,452 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Northwestern

#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #4 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $7,934 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Chicago

#5

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $9,044 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dartmouth College.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Dartmouth College Philosophy Report

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,887 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Columbia

#7

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,086 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Vanderbilt University

#8

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

Wake Forest University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wake Forest University, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $12,004 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Wake Forest University

#9

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #9, Cornell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

Cornell also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $11,869 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cornell.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The impressive 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at Cornell University

#10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 36 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,028 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 96%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $9,694 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UW Seattle Philosophy Report

#12

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UF is $8,528 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 University of Florida

#13

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $11,721 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend William & Mary.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at William & Mary

#14

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,060 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 full report on Philosophy at UNC Chapel Hill

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Madison is in the top on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $13,227 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison Philosophy Report

#16

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 127 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCLA Philosophy Report

#17

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 30 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also took the #14 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $17,768 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Philosophy at Notre Dame

#18

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $6,894 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hunter College Philosophy Report

#19

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $17,113 for bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Boston College Philosophy Report

With a ranking of #20, Florida International University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 39 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FIU is $10,298 for Bachelor’s Degree 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.

Read full report on Philosophy at FIU

#21

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #21, Florida State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $10,583 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. 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 Florida State Philosophy Report

#22

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman is $6,993 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Philosophy at Lehman

#23

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $13,081 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%. 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 UC Berkeley Philosophy Report

California State University - Long Beach came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,807 for bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low 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 CSULB Philosophy Report

John Jay College of Criminal Justice did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for John Jay College of Criminal Justice is $7,751 for Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Philosophy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Rest of the Best 26 in Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 26 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

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

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees 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.

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