College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California

140 Ranked Colleges
1,878 Degrees Awarded
$35,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California” 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.

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

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California” ranking, we looked at 140 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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 “Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California”.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 166 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Los Angeles

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 144 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Philosophy Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 106 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Berkeley

4
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 75 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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full USC Philosophy Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 71 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 full report on Philosophy at University of California - Irvine

6

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 67 students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Riverside

6

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 67 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy students 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 more about Philosophy at University of California - Santa Cruz

8

University of California - Davis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. 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 93%. 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%.

Full UC Davis Philosophy Report

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 58 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full CSULB Philosophy Report

10
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #10, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 56 ’s philosophy 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at SFSU

11

University of California - San Diego landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 50 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 94%. 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - San Diego

12

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #12. 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Philosophy Report

13

California State University - Fullerton landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 37 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Cal State Fullerton

14
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 33 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at Stanford University

15

California State University - Sacramento came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Sac State

16
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. SCU is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 28 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Philosophy at SCU

17
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 full report on Philosophy at San Jose State

17

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Philosophy at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

17
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Full San Diego State University Philosophy Report

20

California State University - Northridge landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 22 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Philosophy Report

21
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking. Loyola Marymount 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.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University

21
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 21 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of San Francisco

23
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #23, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. SSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 20 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

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 Sonoma State University Philosophy Report

23
USD crest
University of San Diego
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #23, University of San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. USD is located in San Diego, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

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 University of San Diego

25
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #25, Claremont McKenna College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California list. Claremont McKenna College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 19 ’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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Claremont McKenna

25
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Walnut, California, and it awarded 19 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Philosophy at Mt. SAC

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