by our College Data Analytics Team
[Philosophy](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the early-career earnings of their philosophy graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send philosophy graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked Eastern Michigan University the top school for philosophy graduate earnings in Michigan. Set in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. Early-career philosophy graduates from Eastern Michigan University make a median of around $56,170 per year.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Michigan Ann Arbor one of the highest-paying schools for philosophy. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public institution. Philosophy graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of about $74,182 a year early in their careers.
Grand Valley State University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in philosophy, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. Early-career philosophy graduates from Grand Valley State University make a median of around $44,259 per year.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries philosophy graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.