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2023 Best Value Colleges for Philosophy (With Aid)

76 Ranked Colleges
10,054 Degrees Awarded
$13,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

Philosophy is the 83rd most popular major in the country with 10,054 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 76 colleges that offered a degree 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the philosophy program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Philosophy (With Aid)

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 72 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Philosophy Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for philosophy students with aid.

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 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 full report on Philosophy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 64 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. It costs about $12,017 for philosophy students with aid per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $5,135 for philosophy students with aid.

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

Read more about Philosophy at UF

4

Out of the 76 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $15,768 for philosophy students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at UC Davis

5

Out of the 76 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 73 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Philosophy students with aid.

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 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Wisconsin - Madison

6
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 28 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,614 for Philosophy students with aid per year to attend Lehman College.

Full Lehman College Philosophy Report

7
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid list. 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 is $9,946 for philosophy students with aid.

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 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Florida State

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for philosophy students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Philosophy at Cal State LA

9
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. 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 $32,459 for Philosophy students with aid per year to attend Duke.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 Duke

10

University of California - Riverside came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 67 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UCR is $11,822 for philosophy students with aid.

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%. 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 - Riverside

11
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UPenn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 206 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Philosophy Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $25,046 for Philosophy students with aid.

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. 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 95%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Pennsylvania

12

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 73 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $18,350 for Philosophy students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Philosophy Report

13

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 62 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $13,107 for philosophy students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at ASU - Tempe

14

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,230 for philosophy students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, 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 87%.

Read more about Philosophy at California State University - Fresno

15
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $22,006 for philosophy students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Virginia - Main Campus

16

Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Florida International University is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $5,298 for Philosophy students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at FIU

17

California State University - Fullerton came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,003 for Philosophy students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at California State University - Fullerton

18
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 15 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $3,067 for philosophy students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Brooklyn College

19

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 144 ’s philosophy degrees 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 University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for Philosophy students with aid.

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 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 UCSB Philosophy Report

20

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 82 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Philosophy Schools” list. It costs about $22,823 for philosophy students with aid per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Philosophy at Columbia University in the City of New York

21

University of California - Berkeley landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 106 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. It costs about $16,032 for philosophy students with aid per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Berkeley

22

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 27 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,321 for philosophy students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

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 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%.

Full UIUC Philosophy Report

23

California State University - Northridge landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 22 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,523 for Philosophy students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at CSUN

24
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,358 for philosophy students with aid per year to attend University of Arizona.

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 University of Arizona

25

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 44 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,878 for philosophy students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Philosophy Report

Notes and References

References

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