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Philosophy professor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a philosophy professor. Philosophy professors usually study philosophy, theology, or history. 51% of philosophy professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 108 real philosophy professor resumes to see exactly what philosophy professor education sections show.
The most common colleges for philosophy professors are the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
There are also many online philosophy professor courses to help get the education required to be a philosophy professor.
What education do you need to become a philosophy professor?
What degree do you need to be a philosophy professor?
- Bachelor's, 51%
- Master's, 26%
- Doctorate, 16%
- Associate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a philosophy professor?
- Philosophy, 48%
- Theology, 8%
- History, 7%
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for philosophy professors
| Philosophy professor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Nebraska - Lincoln | 12.00% |
| SUNY Buffalo State | 8.00% |
| Indiana University South Bend | 8.00% |
| University of Chicago | 8.00% |
| Stockton University | 4.00% |
Best majors for philosophy professors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philosophy | 47.6% |
| 2 | Theology | 8.3% |
| 3 | History | 7.1% |
| 4 | Political Science | 6.0% |
| 5 | English | 4.8% |
Best colleges for philosophy professors
The best colleges for philosophy professors are Duke University, Yale University, and Emory University.
A philosophy professor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for philosophy professors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become philosophy professors.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
10. Indiana Wesleyan University
Marion, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$26,630
Enrollment
2,647
20 best online courses for philosophy professors
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1. Philosophy and the Sciences: Introduction to the Philosophy of Physical Sciences
What is the origin of our universe? What are dark matter and dark energy? This is the first part of the course 'Philosophy and the Sciences', dedicated to Philosophy of the Physical Sciences. Scientific research across the physical sciences has raised pressing questions for philosophers. The goal of this course is to introduce you to some of the main areas and topics at the key juncture between philosophy and the physical sciences. Each week we will introduce you to some of these important...
2. Philosophy, Science and Religion: Religion and Science
Philosophy, Science and Religion mark three of the most fundamental modes of thinking about the world and our place in it. Are these modes incompatible? Put another way: is the intellectually responsible thing to do to ‘pick sides’ and identify with one of these approaches at the exclusion of others? Or, are they complementary or mutually supportive? As is typical of questions of such magnitude, the devil is in the details. For example, it is important to work out what is really distinctive...
3. Introduction to Moral Philosophy
Ethics! Normative, applied and meta...
4. Navigating Office Politics: Get What You Want at Work
Learn how to gain influence and get more done in your organization by understanding and navigating office politics...
5. Introduction to Korean Philosophy and Culture
This course will give you the cultural and historical background to begin your journey into Korean philosophy, and there is no prerequisite knowledge on philosophy required. Anybody who either has an interest in Korean culture, maybe through K-Dramas or K-pop, or an interest in philosophy from a cross-cultural perspective, are all welcome. Despite the growing interest in Korean culture, there are few courses which explore the fascinating topic of Korean philosophy. On this course, you’ll be...
6. Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors
What is philosophy? How does it differ from science, religion, and other modes of human discourse? This course traces the origins of philosophy in the Western tradition in the thinkers of Ancient Greece. We begin with the Presocratic natural philosophers who were active in Ionia in the 6th century BCE and are also credited with being the first scientists. Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximines made bold proposals about the ultimate constituents of reality, while Heraclitus insisted that there is...
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9. Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors
What is philosophy? How does it differ from science, religion, and other modes of human discourse? This course traces the origins of philosophy in the Western tradition in the thinkers of Ancient Greece. We begin with the Presocratic natural philosophers who were active in Ionia in the 6th century BCE and are also credited with being the first scientists. Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximines made bold proposals about the ultimate constituents of reality, while Heraclitus insisted that there is...
10. Customer Centricity with Professor Jagdish Sheth
This is a master class in Customer Centricity. Professor Jagdish Sheth, 2020 Padma Bhushan Award winner for Literature and Education, guides you through proven strategies and practical steps for implementing customer centricity practices into your business. Professor Sheth shares wisdom and insight from decades of experience, years of research, and recommendations from multiple senior industry leaders to help grow your business and cut costs by keeping the customers you have by creating a...
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The Complete 2017 Guide to Building Beautiful, Fast, and Bug Free Web Applications with Google Chrome Dev Tools...
12. Productivity for Students: Study Smarter, Not Harder
Powerful learning strategies to increase your personal productivity: Studying SMART with Project Elon founder Mike Elon...
13. Question Reality! Science, philosophy, a search for meaning
How much can we know of the physical world? Can we know everything? Or are there fundamental limits to how much we can explain? If there are limits, to what extent can we explain the nature of physical reality? RealityX investigates the limits of knowledge and what we can and cannot know of the world and ourselves.\n\nWe will trace the evolution of ideas about the nature of reality in philosophy and the natural sciences through the ages. Starting with the philosophers of Ancient Greece and...
14. Study Skills for University Success
In this course, you’ll learn about many important skills to support your study, including time management, discovering your own learning styles, and reading more effectively and increasing your vocabulary. You’ll hear some guidelines for studying effectively in online or remote classes, which are becoming more and more popular in university-level education. You’ll also improve your skills in listening to lectures and taking good notes to help you as you study for tests. Finally, you’ll hear...
15. Web Development w/ Google's Go (golang) Programming Language
Learn Web Programming from a University Professor in Computer Science with over 20 years of teaching experience...
16. Introduction to Learning and Development
Become a confident people development practitioner and knowledgeable in Human Resource Development...
17. Learning and Development Tools and Methods
Learn how to develop employees and decipher the practices of Human Resource Development...
18. Artificial Intelligence Ethics Certification
Understand the foundation of your moral code and how it can guide you through the most influential industry of our time...
19. Build Undetectable Malware Using C Language: Ethical Hacking
In This Advance Ethical Hacking Course You Will Learn How To Create Your Own Penetration Testing Tool With C Programming...
20. English Literature: Be as Informed as a Literature Graduate
The development of English Literature from its earliest texts to the present day...
Top 10 most affordable universities for philosophy professors
The most affordable schools for philosophy professors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and luther rice college and seminary.
If the best universities for philosophy professors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for philosophy professors.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Luther Rice College and Seminary
Lithonia, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,616
Cost of attendance
8,720
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for philosophy professors
The hardest universities for philosophy professors to get into are Duke University, Yale University, and Emory University.
Some great schools for philosophy professors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for philosophy professors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
2. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
3. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for philosophy professors
The easiest schools for philosophy professors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, nyack college, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a philosophy professor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for philosophy professors.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average philosophy professor salary by education level
| Philosophy professor education level | Philosophy professor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,182 |
| Doctorate Degree | $97,693 |
Philosophy professor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025