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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Philosophy

925 Ranked Colleges
10,054 Degrees Awarded
$36,600 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Philosophy Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Philosophy Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Philosophy Major” ranking looked at 925 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in philosophy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular philosophy programs in the United States.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Philosophy Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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.

Most Well Attended Philosophy Major

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

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 206 students 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full UPenn Philosophy Report

2

Out of the 925 schools in the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. 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

3

Out of the 925 schools in the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #3 spot on the list. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 144 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at UCSB

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. UC 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.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at UC Berkeley

5
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Boston College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 95 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Boston College

6
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 83 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full New York University Philosophy Report

7

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 ’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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Columbia University in the City of New York

8
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 75 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 full report on Philosophy at University of Southern California

8

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 75 ’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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

10

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UT Austin Philosophy Report

10

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #10. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at UW - Madison

12

With a ranking of #12, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 72 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Philosophy Report

13
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #13. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Chicago

13

University of California - Irvine landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 71 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Irvine Philosophy Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. University of Colorado Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 70 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Colorado Boulder

16

University of California - Riverside landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 67 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Full University of California - Riverside Philosophy Report

16

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Philosophy at UC Santa Cruz

18
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. Emory University is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

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

Full Emory Philosophy Report

19

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 64 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 full report on Philosophy at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Washington - Bothell Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. UW Bothell is located in Bothell, Washington and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of Washington - Bothell Campus

21

Holy Apostles College and Seminary came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. This small school is located in Cromwell, Connecticut, and it awarded 60 ’s philosophy 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 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%.

Full Holy Apostles College and Seminary Philosophy Report

21

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 62 ’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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 ASU - Tempe Philosophy Report

23

California State University - Long Beach landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 58 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at California State University - Long Beach

23

University of California - Davis came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 58 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Davis Philosophy Report

25
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #25, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SFSU Philosophy Report

Rest of the Best 51 in Most Well Attended Philosophy Major

Not only did these schools make the top 51 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
26
Tulane crest
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
26
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
29
30
31
CUA crest
Catholic University of America
Washington, District of Columbia
32
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
32
32
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
35
35
Fordham U crest
Fordham University
Bronx, New York
37
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
37
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia
39
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
40
41
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
42
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
42
44
44
46
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York
46
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia
46
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
49
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
49
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
49
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Philosophy Major

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

RankCollegeLocation
52California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
53Purdue University - Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN
53University of St Thomas MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN
55University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
55Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
57University of OregonEugene, OR
57American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV
57Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA
60University of ScrantonScranton, PA
60Texas A&M University - College StationCollege Station, TX
60Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
60University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
60William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
60Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
66California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
RankCollegeLocation
66University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA
66Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ
66Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY
66Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA
71Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
71Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, MO
73Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
73Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
73University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
76Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
76Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
76University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
79Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA
79University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
79University of DallasIrving, TX
79University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM
79Lehman CollegeBronx, NY
84University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
84University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
84University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL
84Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
88Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA
88University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
90Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
90Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
RankCollegeLocation
90University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL
90The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
90Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
90George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
90Seton Hall UniversitySouth Orange, NJ
90Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL
90Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
90University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
100University of IowaIowa City, IA
100Rice UniversityHouston, TX
100University of North TexasDenton, TX
100University of Colorado at Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, CO
100San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
100Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC
100Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
100San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
100California State Polytechnic University - PomonaPomona, CA
100University of KansasLawrence, KS
110University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL
110University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
110DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
110University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
114Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
114Duke UniversityDurham, NC
114California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
RankCollegeLocation
114Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
114Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA
114Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
114University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
114University of MemphisMemphis, TN
122Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
122Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
122Furman UniversityGreenville, SC
122Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT
122University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
122University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
122Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
129Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA
129University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA
129The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
129Creighton UniversityOmaha, NE
129Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwater, OK
129Sonoma State UniversityRohnert Park, CA
129Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
136Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS
136Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
136George Washington UniversityWashington, DC
136Mt. San Antonio CollegeWalnut, CA
136Hobart and William Smith CollegesGeneva, NY
136Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT
RankCollegeLocation
136University of RochesterRochester, NY
136Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
136Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA
136Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
136Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY
136Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary - OverbrookWynnewood, PA
136Baylor UniversityWaco, TX

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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