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. The schools below stand out for the salaries their philosophy graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 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.
University Of Pennsylvania tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying philosophy schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution. Philosophy graduates of University Of Pennsylvania earn a median of about $73,053 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in philosophy will find them at University Of Scranton, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Scranton, University Of Scranton is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career philosophy graduates from University Of Scranton make a median of around $66,660 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Gettysburg College earned it the #3 place for philosophy. Gettysburg College is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Gettysburg. Early-career philosophy graduates from Gettysburg College make a median of around $38,544 per year.
Temple University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in philosophy, landing the #4 spot this year. Temple University is a public school located in the city of Philadelphia. Students who complete the philosophy program here go on to a median salary of roughly $46,994.
Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania produces some of the highest-paid graduates in philosophy, landing the #5 spot this year. Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania is a public school located in the town of Slippery Rock. After graduating, philosophy degree recipients from Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania typically earn about $25,869 annually.
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 · 5 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.