by our College Data Analytics Team
[Philosophy](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a philosophy degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find where philosophy graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose philosophy graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in philosophy, no school beat Vanderbilt University this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, philosophy degree recipients from Vanderbilt University typically earn about $107,157 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in philosophy will find them at The University Of Tennessee, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a public institution. Students who complete the philosophy program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,933.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Memphis earned it the #3 place for philosophy. Located in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a public institution. Early-career philosophy graduates from University Of Memphis make a median of around $39,587 per year.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their philosophy graduates, 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.