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2024 Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools

82 Colleges in the United States
19,993 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$31,946 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you're seeking a degree in philosophy & religious studies, you will have fewer peers than average since the major degree program is the #28 one in the country in terms of popularity.This may make is a little harder to find a school that is a good fit for you.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 82 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for philosophy & religious studies students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 19,993 degrees in philosophy & religious studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Philosophy & Religious Studies School

Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools The philosophy & religious studies program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Philosophy & Religious Studies rankings. For our Best Overall Philosophy & Religious Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Philosophy & Religious Studies Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Philosophy & Religious Studies
Bachelor's Degrees in Philosophy & Religious Studies
Master's Degrees in Philosophy & Religious Studies
Doctor's Degrees in Philosophy & Religious Studies

The philosophy & religious studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Philosophy & Religious Studies in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of philosophy & religious studies degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

12 Top Schools in Philosophy & Religious Studies

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
214 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
17.8% Growth in Graduates

University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in philosophy & religious studies. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 214 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Those philosophy & religious studies students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania make $29,385 more than the average philosophy & religious studies student.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of Pennsylvania

2
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$49,269 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Duke University if you wish to pursue a degree in philosophy & religious studies. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 49 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Those philosophy & religious studies students who get their degree from Duke University make $17,323 more than the typical philosophy & religious studies student.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from Duke University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$28,698 Median Starting Salary

University of Chicago is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in philosophy & religious studies. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 73 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the philosophy & religious studies program earn around $28,698 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of Chicago

4
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
10.5% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in philosophy & religious studies has to look into Emory University. Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were roughly 86 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the philosophy & religious studies major at Emory University make $10,873 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from Emory University

5
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
100 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$51,737 Median Starting Salary

Boston College is a large private not-for-profit college located in the city of Chestnut Hill. This college ranks 8th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 100 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent data year. Those philosophy & religious studies students who get their degree from Boston College make $19,791 more than the standard philosophy & religious studies student.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from Boston College

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
22.9% Growth in Graduates

USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 83 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the philosophy & religious studies program report average early career earnings of $28,506.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of Southern California

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$38,546 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 124 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Philosophy & Religious Studies degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York earn a boost of around $6,600 above the typical earnings of philosophy & religious studies graduates.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from Columbia University in the City of New York

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$66,317 Median Starting Salary

Jewish Theological Seminary of America is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

There were about 56 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Jewish Theological Seminary of America in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the philosophy & religious studies program at Jewish Theological Seminary of America make $34,371 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from Jewish Theological Seminary of America

9
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
3.9% Growth in Graduates

Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 51 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients usually make around $31,978 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from Vanderbilt University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$36,290 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were approximately 71 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the philosophy & religious studies degree program at University of Washington - Seattle Campus make $4,344 more than the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
23.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were about 107 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the philosophy & religious studies program at University of Wisconsin - Madison earn $3,771 above the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of Wisconsin - Madison

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
13.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were approximately 54 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. After graduating, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients usually earn about $23,992 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of Notre Dame

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Philosophy & Religious Studies students that almost earned our Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools award.

Rank College Location
13 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
14 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
15 Boston University Boston, MA
16 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
17 New York University New York, NY
18 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
19 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
20 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA

Philosophy & Religious Studies by Region

View the Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Philosophy & Religious Studies Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Philosophy 10,054
Religious Studies 9,470
Other Philosophy & Religious Studies 285
General Philosophy & Religious Studies 184

View All Philosophy & Religious Studies Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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