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2024 Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California

15 Colleges in California
2,395 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$30,148 Avg Early-Career Salary
You'll be studying one of the lesser sought-after majors if you pursue a degree in philosophy & religious studies. It is ranked #28 out of 38 major degree programs in terms of popularity. As such, your educational options may be more limited than if you were in a more popular field.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 15 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,395 degrees in philosophy & religious studies to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Philosophy & Religious Studies School

Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California 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. We derive our Best Overall Philosophy & Religious Studies School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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

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 in California. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Philosophy & Religious Studies in California

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the philosophy & religious studies degree levels they offer.

10 Top California Schools in Philosophy & Religious Studies

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
22.9% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat University of Southern California if you want to pursue a degree in philosophy & religious studies. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges 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. After graduating, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients usually make around $28,506 in the first five years of their career.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$34,697 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Davis is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in philosophy & religious studies. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were about 68 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Philosophy & Religious Studies degree recipients from University of California - Davis get an earnings boost of around $4,549 over the typical income of philosophy & religious studies majors.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
106 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
3.8% Growth in Graduates

University of California - Berkeley is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in philosophy & religious studies. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 106 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the philosophy & religious studies program report average early career wages of $23,934.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
182 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
2.2% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in philosophy & religious studies needs to check out University of California - Santa Barbara. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were approximately 182 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the philosophy & religious studies program make about $25,963 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of California - Santa Barbara

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
4.4% Growth in Graduates

UC Santa Cruz is a large public university located in the small city of Santa Cruz. A Best Colleges rank of #102 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.

There were about 68 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients typically make an average of $28,735 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from University of California - Santa Cruz

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
22.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Riverside, UCR is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 36th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 79 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the philosophy & religious studies program earn about $26,851 in the first couple years of working.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$38,923 Median Starting Salary

Chapman is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Orange. A Best Colleges rank of #191 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Chapman is a great university overall.

There were approximately 18 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent year we have data available. Those philosophy & religious studies students who get their degree from Chapman University receive $8,775 more than the standard philosophy & religious studies grad.

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

8
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
80 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
21.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of La Mirada, Biola is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 58th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 80 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Biola in the most recent year we have data available. Those philosophy & religious studies students who get their degree from Biola University receive $31,374 more than the standard philosophy & religious studies grad.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees Awarded
$34,537 Median Starting Salary

SFSU is a very large public university located in the city of San Francisco. A Best Colleges rank of #204 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SFSU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 64 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent data year. Philosophy & Religious Studies degree recipients from San Francisco State University earn a boost of around $4,389 above the average earnings of philosophy & religious studies graduates.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from San Francisco State University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$32,024 Median Starting Salary
$14,824 Median Student Debt

Fresno State is a very large public university located in the city of Fresno. This university ranks 74th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 15 philosophy & religious studies students who graduated with this degree at Fresno State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, philosophy & religious studies degree recipients usually earn about $32,024 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in philosophy & religious studies from California State University - Fresno

Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 37 331
Oregon 37 135
Hawaii 36 47
Nevada 35 57
Alaska 33 4

View All Rankings >

Philosophy & Religious Studies Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Philosophy 1,878
Religious Studies 420
Other Philosophy & Religious Studies 88
General Philosophy & Religious Studies 9

View All Philosophy & Religious Studies Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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