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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy & Religious Studies in California

33 Ranked Colleges
242 Degrees Awarded
$61,522 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Philosophy & Religious Studies is the 28th most popular major in the country with 19,993 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, philosophy and religious studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,946 and had an average of $22,275 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 2,395 philosophy and religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,148 and $16,587 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 242 philosophy and religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,974 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California” ranking, we looked at 33 colleges that offer a degree in philosophy and religious studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in philosophy and religious studies.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies 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. 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 for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California

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

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy & Religious Studies in California

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 & Religious Studies Major in California list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s philosophy and religious studies 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.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology

2

Out of the 33 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Academy for Jewish Religion - California landed the #2 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at Academy for Jewish Religion - California

3
Claremont School of Theology crest
Claremont School of Theology
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont School of Theology. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California. Claremont School of Theology is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 18 masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at Claremont School of Theology

4
Institute of Buddhist Studies crest
Institute of Buddhist Studies
Berkeley, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Institute of Buddhist Studies. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California. Institute of Buddhist Studies is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 1 masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees 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 full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at Institute of Buddhist Studies

5
UWest crest
University of the West
Rosemead, California

Out of the 33 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of the West landed the #5 spot on the list. University of the West is located in Rosemead, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at UWest

6
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. Biola University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Mirada, California. It awarded 76 masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at Biola University

7

California Institute of Integral Studies did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. California Institute of Integral Studies is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full California Institute of Integral Studies Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

8
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

Claremont Graduate University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #8. Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 2.9% 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 Claremont Graduate University Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

9
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California list. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 17 masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at SCU

10
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 12 masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at Stanford University

11
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 masters’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%.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at San Francisco State University

12
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking. Loyola Marymount University is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.

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. 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 & Religious Studies Report

13

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 11 masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

14
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #14. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 1 masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national 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 more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at Mount Saint Mary’s University

15

University of California - Riverside ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 7 masters’s philosophy and religious studies 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 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of California - Riverside

16

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified masters’s philosophy and religious studies students 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of California - Irvine

17
Loma Linda University crest
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, California

Loma Linda University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California list. Located in Loma Linda, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at Loma Linda University

18
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Malibu, California, and it awarded 2 masters’s philosophy and religious studies 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at Pepperdine University

19

With a ranking of #19, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 3 masters’s philosophy and religious studies 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of California - Santa Cruz

20

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full UCLA Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

21
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified masters’s philosophy and religious studies 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 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 San Jose State University Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

22

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 3 masters’s philosophy and religious studies 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 UCSB Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

23

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 4 masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at CSULB

24

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 masters’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 & Religious Studies at University of California - Davis

25
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Philosophy & Religious Studies Major in California ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 3 degrees to qualified masters’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at San Diego State University

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