by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 14,685 philosophy and religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 1,010 colleges that offer a degree in philosophy and religious studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular philosophy and religious studies programs in the United States.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students.
Out of the 1,010 schools in the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Liberty University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 725 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
Full Liberty University Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 203 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 174 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Out of the 1,010 schools in the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the list. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 172 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
Out of the 1,010 schools in the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 101 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.
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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of California - Berkeley
The University of Texas at Austin ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 85 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at The University of Texas at Austin
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
University of Southern California landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%. 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 & Religious Studies at University of Southern California
University of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 76 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of St Thomas Minnesota Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
New York University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 76 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 75 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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 Arizona State University - Skysong Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 72 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of Virginia
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York
University of California - Riverside landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 71 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies 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 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%.
Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of California - Riverside
Boston College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of Chicago
California State University - Long Beach came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 67 bachelors’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 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 & Religious Studies at California State University - Long Beach
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 65 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Davis came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 64 bachelors’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 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%.
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 64 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies 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 & Religious Studies at UC Santa Cruz
University of Colorado Boulder came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 62 students in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Colorado Boulder Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
With a ranking of #24, University of Washington - Bothell Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Philosophy & Religious Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. UW Bothell is a medium-sized school located in Bothell, Washington that handed out 62 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 52 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 53 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
| 53 | Baylor University | Waco, TX |
| 53 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 56 | Furman University | Greenville, SC |
| 56 | Georgia State University | Atlanta, GA |
| 56 | Colgate University | Hamilton, NY |
| 59 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL |
| 59 | St Olaf College | Northfield, MN |
| 59 | Jewish Theological Seminary of America | New York, NY |
| 62 | University of Scranton | Scranton, PA |
| 63 | University of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 63 | University of Oregon | Eugene, OR |
| 63 | California State University - Northridge | Northridge, CA |
| 66 | Indiana University - Bloomington | Bloomington, IN |
| 66 | University of Mary | Bismarck, ND |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 88 | Hunter College | New York, NY |
| 88 | Harvard University | Cambridge, MA |
| 88 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, NC |
| 96 | Princeton University | Princeton, NJ |
| 96 | Georgetown University | Washington, DC |
| 98 | Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH |
| 98 | Hobart and William Smith Colleges | Geneva, NY |
| 98 | University of Mary Washington | Fredericksburg, VA |
| 98 | Binghamton University | Vestal, NY |
| 98 | Utah State University | Logan, UT |
| 98 | University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS |
| 98 | Hebrew Theological College | Skokie, IL |
| 98 | Vanguard University of Southern California | Costa Mesa, CA |
| 98 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 98 | Tufts University | Medford, MA |
| 98 | Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota | Winona, MN |
| 98 | Brandeis University | Waltham, MA |
| 110 | Holy Apostles College and Seminary | Cromwell, CT |
| 110 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL |
| 110 | Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 110 | Seattle University | Seattle, WA |
| 110 | University of San Diego | San Diego, CA |
| 110 | Cornell University | Ithaca, NY |
| 116 | Texas State University | San Marcos, TX |
| 116 | Wabash College | Crawfordsville, IN |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 142 | University of North Carolina at Wilmington | Wilmington, NC |
| 142 | Appalachian State University | Boone, NC |
| 142 | University of Rochester | Rochester, NY |
| 142 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL |
| 142 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC |
| 142 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 142 | University of Nevada - Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV |
| 142 | Wayland Baptist University | Plainview, TX |
| 142 | University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 142 | Saint Leo University | Saint Leo, FL |
| 142 | Colorado State University - Fort Collins | Fort Collins, CO |
| 142 | George Mason University | Fairfax, VA |
| 142 | College of the Holy Cross | Worcester, MA |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
