College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Colleges for Philosophy

925 Ranked Colleges
10,054 Degrees Awarded
$28,300 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” ranking, we looked at 925 colleges that offer a degree in philosophy. That schools that top this list have a program in philosophy in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Philosophy Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for philosophy students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Philosophy

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint John Vianney College Seminary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. St. John Vianney College Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 16 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Full St. John Vianney College Seminary Philosophy Report

2
Conception Seminary College crest
Conception Seminary College
Conception, Missouri

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Conception Seminary College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major. Conception Seminary College is located in Conception, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Conception Seminary College

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major. The Domincan School Berkeley is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 13 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Philosophy at The Domincan School Berkeley

4
Divine Word College crest
Divine Word College
Epworth, Iowa

Out of the 925 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Divine Word College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Epworth, Iowa, and it awarded 7 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Full Divine Word College Philosophy Report

5

Out of the 925 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Holy Apostles College and Seminary landed the #5 spot on the list. Holy Apostles College and Seminary is located in Cromwell, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Holy Apostles College and Seminary

6

Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. It awarded 22 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Philosophy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook

7
Mount Angel Seminary crest
Mount Angel Seminary
Saint Benedict, Oregon

With a ranking of #7, Mount Angel Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. This small school is located in Saint Benedict, Oregon, and it awarded 8 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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 Mount Angel Seminary

8

With a ranking of #8, Glasgow Caledonian New York College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. New-York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Philosophy at Glasgow Caledonian New York College

9
SHMS crest
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Detroit, Michigan

Sacred Heart Major Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #9. SHMS is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 17 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Sacred Heart Major Seminary Philosophy Report

10

Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad 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%.

Full Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary Philosophy Report

11

With a ranking of #11, Chicago Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Philosophy at Chicago Theological Seminary

12

Pontifical College Josephinum ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Pontifical College Josephinum Philosophy Report

13
Piedmont International University crest
Piedmont International University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Piedmont International University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Philosophy at Piedmont International University

14
Nazarene Bible College crest
Nazarene Bible College
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Nazarene Bible College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Nazarene Bible College is a small school located in Colorado Springs, Colorado that handed out 4 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read full report on Philosophy at Nazarene Bible College

15

With a ranking of #15, Franciscan University of Steubenville did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Steubenville, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Franciscan U Philosophy Report

16
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Claremont McKenna College ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 19 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Claremont McKenna

17

St Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Rochester, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full SBSTM Philosophy Report

18
Hillsdale College crest
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan

Hillsdale College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Hillsdale, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Philosophy at Hillsdale College

19
UD crest
University of Dallas
Irving, Texas

With a ranking of #19, University of Dallas did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. University of Dallas is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irving, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Dallas Philosophy Report

20
Wabash crest
Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana

With a ranking of #20, Wabash College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Wabash is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Crawfordsville, Indiana. It awarded 7 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Philosophy at Wabash College

21
Johnson University crest
Johnson University
Knoxville, Tennessee

Johnson University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Philosophy at Johnson University

22
Kenyon crest
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

With a ranking of #22, Kenyon College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Located in Gambier, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate 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.

Read more about Philosophy at Kenyon

23
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #23. Hamilton is located in Clinton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Hamilton

24
Sweet Briar crest
Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, Virginia

Sweet Briar College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Sweet Briar College is a small school located in Sweet Briar, Virginia that handed out 2 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Philosophy at Sweet Briar College

25
CUA crest
Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia

Catholic University of America ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Catholic University of America is a medium-sized school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 51 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Catholic University of America Philosophy Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois
27
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois
28
29
30
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California
31
Bates crest
Bates College
Lewiston, Maine
32
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York
33
BAC crest
Belmont Abbey College
Belmont, North Carolina
34
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts
35
Randolph crest
Randolph College
Lynchburg, Virginia
36
Colorado College crest
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado
37
Hampden - Sydney crest
Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
38
Clarke crest
Clarke University
Dubuque, Iowa
39
Centre College of Kentucky crest
Centre College
Danville, Kentucky
40
Furman crest
Furman University
Greenville, South Carolina
41
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
42
SVU crest
Southern Virginia University
Buena Vista, Virginia
43
Benedictine College crest
Benedictine College
Atchison, Kansas
44
Cornell College crest
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa
45
University of Scranton crest
University of Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
46
Davidson crest
Davidson College
Davidson, North Carolina
47
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California
48
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin
49
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
50
Dickinson crest
Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Morehouse College Atlanta, GA
52 Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA
53 Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA
54 Lawrence University Appleton, WI
55 Simpson College Indianola, IA
56 Washington College Chestertown, MD
57 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
58 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
59 The College of Wooster Wooster, OH
60 Williams College Williamstown, MA
61 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
62 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
63 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
64 Reed College Portland, OR
65 Ursinus College Collegeville, PA
Rank College Location
66 Trinity College Hartford, CT
67 Loras College Dubuque, IA
68 Westminster College Missouri Fulton, MO
69 Whitman College Walla Walla, WA
70 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
71 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
72 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
73 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA
74 Transylvania University Lexington, KY
74 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
76 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA
77 McDaniel College Westminster, MD
78 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
79 Augustana College Rock Island, IL
80 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
81 Goucher College Baltimore, MD
82 Earlham College Richmond, IN
83 Hanover College Hanover, IN
84 Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, NC
85 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
86 Spring Hill College Mobile, AL
87 Fort Lewis College Durango, CO
87 Scripps College Claremont, CA
89 Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA
90 University of Mary Bismarck, ND
Rank College Location
91 The College of Idaho Caldwell, ID
92 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
93 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
94 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
95 Saint Michael’s College Colchester, VT
96 Connecticut College New London, CT
97 Thiel College Greenville, PA
98 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
99 Newman University Wichita, KS
100 Colby College Waterville, ME
101 The New School New York, NY
102 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
103 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
104 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
105 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
106 Albion College Albion, MI
107 Hollins University Roanoke, VA
108 United States Military Academy West Point, NY
109 Hiram College Hiram, OH
110 Mount St Mary’s University Emmitsburg, MD
111 Taylor University Upland, IN
112 Eckerd College Saint Petersburg, FL
113 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
114 Emory University Atlanta, GA
115 Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA
Rank College Location
116 Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, LA
117 Pomona College Claremont, CA
118 Lafayette College Easton, PA
119 Covenant College Lookout Mountain, GA
120 Spelman College Atlanta, GA
121 Wells College Aurora, NY
122 Ave Maria University Ave Maria, FL
123 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
124 Wittenberg University Springfield, OH
125 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
126 Manhattanville College Purchase, NY
127 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
128 Rollins College Winter Park, FL
129 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
130 Willamette University Salem, OR
131 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
132 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
133 University of Hawaii at Hilo Hilo, HI
134 Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI
135 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
136 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
137 Central College Pella, IA
138 Hendrix College Conway, AR
139 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options