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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Philosophy in California

140 Ranked Colleges
1,878 Degrees Awarded
$36,400 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 10,054 people earned their degree in philosophy, making the major the 83rd most popular in the United States. 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.

Across California, there were 1,878 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,527 and $16,062 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California” ranking looked at 140 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to 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.

Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Philosophy in California

1

Out of the 140 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology landed the #1 spot on the list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 13 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.

Full Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology Philosophy Report

2
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Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 19 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at Claremont McKenna College

3
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Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Westmont College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California. Westmont College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 10 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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 Westmont College

4
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Pitzer College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pitzer College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Pitzer College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 5 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 full report on Philosophy at Pitzer

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 144 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Santa Barbara

6
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Oxy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Oxy Philosophy Report

7
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Scripps College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #7, Scripps College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Scripps is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees 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 0.9% 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 Scripps Philosophy Report

8
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #8, Pomona College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Philosophy at Pomona College

9

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 166 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Philosophy at UCLA

10

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at UC Santa Cruz

11
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Holy Names University
Oakland, California

Holy Names University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Holy Names University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oakland, California. It awarded 3 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full HNU Philosophy Report

12
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Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Biola is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Mirada, California. It awarded 14 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Biola University

13
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Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Philosophy at SCU

14

With a ranking of #14, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 67 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Riverside

15
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Whittier College
Whittier, California

Whittier College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Whittier, California, and it awarded 4 ’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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Whittier College

16
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Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #16, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Sonoma State University is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 SSU Philosophy Report

17

Saint Mary’s College of California came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Located in Moraga, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Mary’s College of California Philosophy Report

18

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 106 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at UC Berkeley

19
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #19, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at SFSU

20
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #20, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. Loyola Marymount University is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Loyola Marymount University Philosophy Report

21
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

With a ranking of #21, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 33 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford Philosophy Report

22
San Diego City College crest
San Diego City College
San Diego, California

San Diego City College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. San Diego City College is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Philosophy at San Diego City College

23

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Philosophy at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

24
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California ranking. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

Full Humboldt State University Philosophy Report

25
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University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Philosophy Major in California list. San Diego, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at USD

Notes and References

References

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