College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major

175 Ranked Colleges
789 Degrees Awarded
$41,396 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Philosophy Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 789 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” ranking, we looked at 175 colleges that offer 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s philosophy degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Philosophy at Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology

2

Out of the 175 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Glasgow Caledonian New York College landed the #2 spot on the list. Glasgow Caledonian New York College is located in New-York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Philosophy at Glasgow Caledonian New York College

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Holy Apostles College and Seminary. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. This small school is located in Cromwell, Connecticut, and it awarded 35 masters’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.

Full Holy Apostles College and Seminary Philosophy Report

4

Out of the 175 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook landed the #4 spot on the list. Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. It awarded 11 masters’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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - Overbrook Philosophy Report

5

Out of the 175 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, St Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry landed the #5 spot on the list. Rochester, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s philosophy degrees to 1 students 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 St Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry

6
Johnson University crest
Johnson University
Knoxville, Tennessee

Johnson University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Johnson University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Johnson University Philosophy Report

7
UD crest
University of Dallas
Irving, Texas

University of Dallas came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Irving, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s philosophy degrees to 11 students 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Dallas

8

With a ranking of #8, Franciscan University of Steubenville did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Franciscan U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Steubenville, Ohio. It awarded 12 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Franciscan U

9

Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #9. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s philosophy degrees to 1 students 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 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Philosophy at Garrett - Evangelical Theological Seminary

10
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

With a ranking of #10, The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a medium-sized school located in New York, New York that handed out 31 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Philosophy at The Graduate Center, CUNY

11
CUA crest
Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia

Catholic University of America landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. CUA is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 14 masters’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Philosophy at Catholic University of America

12
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified masters’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Biola University Philosophy Report

13
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

With a ranking of #13, The New School did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified masters’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about Philosophy at The New School

14
SEBTS crest
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Wake Forest, North Carolina

With a ranking of #14, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Wake Forest, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s philosophy degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Philosophy at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

15
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

American University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. American University is a fairly large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 25 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Philosophy at The American University

16

Houston Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #16. HBU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 5 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Philosophy at HBU

17
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s philosophy degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Philosophy at Boston College

18
The Mount crest
Mount St Mary's University
Emmitsburg, Maryland

Mount St Mary’s University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #18. The Mount is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Emmitsburg, Maryland. It awarded 3 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 more about Philosophy at The Mount

19
Valpo crest
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Located in Valparaiso, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified masters’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 more about Philosophy at Valparaiso University

20
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Duquesne University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #20. Duquesne University is a medium-sized school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 9 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Duquesne Philosophy Report

21
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s philosophy degrees to 6 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Philosophy at Princeton University

22
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Brandeis University is a medium-sized school located in Waltham, Massachusetts that handed out 6 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 10 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 90%.

Full Brandeis University Philosophy Report

23
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #23, Georgia State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major list. Georgia State University is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 20 masters’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Georgia State Philosophy Report

24

Northern Illinois University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified masters’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

Full Northern Illinois University Philosophy Report

25
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 19 masters’s philosophy degrees 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%.

Full San Francisco State University Philosophy Report

Rest of the Best 27 in Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy Major

Not only did these schools make the top 27 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania
27
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

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