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Using science and data we decided to determine which programs offer the best career opportunities for philosophy Majors. Here are the set of the top colleges for philosophy Majors in US for 2021:
  1. University of Virginia
  2. University of Florida
  3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  4. College of William and Mary
  5. Duke University
  6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  7. University of California - Los Angeles
  8. Colgate University
  9. University of Texas at Austin
  10. Stanford University
If you go to one of these schools, chances are, you're not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.

25 best colleges for philosophy majors in the US

1. University of Virginia

Location
Charlottesville, VA
Admission rate: 26%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $56,800

2. University of Florida

Location
Gainesville, FL
Admission rate: 39%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $47,700

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Admission rate: 23%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $55,900

4. College of William and Mary

Location
Williamsburg, VA
Admission rate: 37%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $47,400

5. Duke University

Location
Durham, NC
Admission rate: 9%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $93,200

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Admission rate: 23%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,900

7. University of California - Los Angeles

Location
Los Angeles, CA
Admission rate: 14%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $52,000

8. Colgate University

Location
Hamilton, NY
Admission rate: 25%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $54,300

9. University of Texas at Austin

Location
Austin, TX
Admission rate: 39%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $52,200

10. Stanford University

Location
Stanford, CA
Admission rate: 4%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $92,800

11. University of California, Berkeley

Location
Berkeley, CA
Admission rate: 15%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $57,600

12. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Location
San Luis Obispo, CA
Admission rate: 30%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $54,700

13. Boston College

Location
Chestnut Hill, MA
Admission rate: 28%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $64,900

14. University of Notre Dame

Location
Notre Dame, IN
Admission rate: 18%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $69,700

15. Yale University

Location
New Haven, CT
Admission rate: 6%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $67,800

16. Wake Forest University

Location
Winston-Salem, NC
Admission rate: 29%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $62,900

17. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Location
Madison, WI
Admission rate: 52%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,600

18. University of Pennsylvania

Location
Philadelphia, PA
Admission rate: 8%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $91,200

19. Lafayette College

Location
Easton, PA
Admission rate: 29%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $58,400

20. Cornell University

Location
Ithaca, NY
Admission rate: 11%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $76,300

21. Vanderbilt University

Location
Nashville, TN
Admission rate: 10%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $61,900

22. Princeton University

Location
Princeton, NJ
Admission rate: 5%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $73,600

23. Brown University

Location
Providence, RI
Admission rate: 8%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $64,800

24. University of California, Santa Barbara

Location
Santa Barbara, CA
Admission rate: 32%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $42,800

25. Northwestern University

Location
Evanston, IL
Admission rate: 8%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $71,900

How we determined the best philosophy colleges

We looked at the following data from the NCES (National Center For Education Statistics) and College Scorecard data from ED.gov to understand what philosophy departments offer the best career opportunities:
  • Percentage of Graduating Class That Are Business Majors
  • Mean Earnings After 10 Years
  • Mean Earnings After 6 Years
  • Admission Rate (More selective the better)
  • Average cost of attendance (Lower is better)
  • Median amount of debt
  • Ratio of people working to not working after 10 years