by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” 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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,334 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” ranking analyzed 799 colleges that offered a degree in philosophy. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their philosophy program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 for a Bachelor’s 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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree philosophy students.
Out of the 799 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint John Vianney College Seminary landed the #1 spot on the list. Saint John Vianney College Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 16 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Philosophy at Saint John Vianney College Seminary
Out of the 799 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Conception Seminary College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Conception, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.
Out of the 799 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Divine Word College landed the #3 spot on the list. Divine Word College is a small school located in Epworth, Iowa that handed out 7 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mount Angel Seminary. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Located in Saint Benedict, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
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.
Out of the 799 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Sacred Heart Major Seminary landed the #5 spot on the list. SHMS is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
With a ranking of #6, Holy Apostles College and Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. This small school is located in Cromwell, Connecticut, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Philosophy at Holy Apostles College and Seminary
With a ranking of #7, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook is a small school located in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania that handed out 8 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Read more about Philosophy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook
Pontifical College Josephinum did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
With a ranking of #9, Nazarene Bible College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Nazarene Bible College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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.
Claremont McKenna College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Hillsdale College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #11. Hillsdale College is a small school located in Hillsdale, Michigan that handed out 15 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #12, Wabash College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Crawfordsville, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Franciscan University of Steubenville came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Located in Steubenville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Kenyon College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #14. Kenyon College is located in Gambier, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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. 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 ranking of #15, Hamilton College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. This small school is located in Clinton, New York, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, 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.
Sweet Briar College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Sweet Briar, Virginia, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Principia College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Elsah, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #19. Geneva, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Philosophy at Hobart and William Smith Colleges
University of Washington - Bothell Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #20. University of Washington - Bothell Campus is located in Bothell, Washington and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #21, Westmont College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. This small school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Bates College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Bates is a small school located in Lewiston, Maine that handed out 16 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #23, Colgate University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. This small school is located in Hamilton, New York, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%. 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.
Belmont Abbey College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. BAC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Belmont, North Carolina. It awarded 9 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.
Wellesley College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 0.6%, 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 93%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | The College of Wooster | Wooster, OH |
| 52 | Williams College | Williamstown, MA |
| 53 | Wheaton College Illinois | Wheaton, IL |
| 54 | College of the Holy Cross | Worcester, MA |
| 55 | Reed College | Portland, OR |
| 56 | Ursinus College | Collegeville, PA |
| 57 | Trinity College | Hartford, CT |
| 58 | Loras College | Dubuque, IA |
| 59 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 60 | Westminster College Missouri | Fulton, MO |
| 61 | Whitman College | Walla Walla, WA |
| 62 | University of Puget Sound | Tacoma, WA |
| 63 | Wesleyan University | Middletown, CT |
| 64 | Macalester College | Saint Paul, MN |
| 65 | Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr, PA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Transylvania University | Lexington, KY |
| 66 | Wheaton College Massachusetts | Norton, MA |
| 68 | Washington & Jefferson College | Washington, PA |
| 69 | McDaniel College | Westminster, MD |
| 70 | Occidental College | Los Angeles, CA |
| 71 | Augustana College | Rock Island, IL |
| 72 | Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 73 | Goucher College | Baltimore, MD |
| 74 | Earlham College | Richmond, IN |
| 75 | Hanover College | Hanover, IN |
| 76 | Spring Hill College | Mobile, AL |
| 77 | Scripps College | Claremont, CA |
| 77 | Fort Lewis College | Durango, CO |
| 79 | Coe College | Cedar Rapids, IA |
| 80 | University of Mary | Bismarck, ND |
| 81 | The College of Idaho | Caldwell, ID |
| 82 | St Lawrence University | Canton, NY |
| 83 | Swarthmore College | Swarthmore, PA |
| 84 | Bowdoin College | Brunswick, ME |
| 85 | Saint Michael’s College | Colchester, VT |
| 86 | Connecticut College | New London, CT |
| 87 | Thiel College | Greenville, PA |
| 88 | Wofford College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 89 | Newman University | Wichita, KS |
| 90 | Colby College | Waterville, ME |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT |
| 92 | St Olaf College | Northfield, MN |
| 93 | Albion College | Albion, MI |
| 94 | Hollins University | Roanoke, VA |
| 95 | United States Military Academy | West Point, NY |
| 96 | Hiram College | Hiram, OH |
| 97 | Boston College | Chestnut Hill, MA |
| 98 | Taylor University | Upland, IN |
| 99 | Eckerd College | Saint Petersburg, FL |
| 100 | Franklin and Marshall College | Lancaster, PA |
| 101 | Oglethorpe University | Atlanta, GA |
| 102 | Centenary College of Louisiana | Shreveport, LA |
| 103 | Pomona College | Claremont, CA |
| 104 | Lafayette College | Easton, PA |
| 105 | Covenant College | Lookout Mountain, GA |
| 106 | Spelman College | Atlanta, GA |
| 107 | Wells College | Aurora, NY |
| 108 | Ave Maria University | Ave Maria, FL |
| 109 | Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA |
| 110 | Wittenberg University | Springfield, OH |
| 111 | Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs, NY |
| 112 | Manhattanville College | Purchase, NY |
| 113 | Allegheny College | Meadville, PA |
| 114 | Rollins College | Winter Park, FL |
| 115 | University of St Thomas Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 116 | Willamette University | Salem, OR |
| 117 | Christopher Newport University | Newport News, VA |
| 118 | Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley, MA |
| 119 | University of Hawaii at Hilo | Hilo, HI |
| 120 | Calvin University | Grand Rapids, MI |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
