# Philosophy

> Philosophy is a field of study in the Philosophy and Religious Studies area.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/philosophy
- CIP code: 38.01 (Philosophy and Religious Studies)
- Colleges offering it: 770 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 64 | not reported | not reported | $21,000 |
| Associate's | 128 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bachelor's | 770 | $37,814 | $56,786 | $19,000 |
| Master's | 166 | $56,977 | $71,733 | $49,691 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 6 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 103 | not reported | $115,630 | not reported |
| First professional | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 36 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Pennsylvania](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pennsylvania-upenn-3009) | Philadelphia, PA | $107,454 | $17,750 |
| [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo-slo-360) | San Luis Obispo, CA | $98,592 | not reported |
| [Boston College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/boston-college-285) | Chestnut Hill, MA | $97,519 | $19,000 |
| [CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-john-jay-college-of-criminal-justice-740) | New York, NY | $78,041 | not reported |
| [William & Mary](https://www.collegesref.com/college/william-mary-3270) | Williamsburg, VA | $75,423 | $18,000 |
| [Fordham University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/fordham-university-990) | Bronx, NY | $74,507 | $21,500 |
| [University of California-Santa Barbara](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-santa-barbara-ucsb-2888) | Santa Barbara, CA | $71,796 | $11,349 |
| [The University of Texas at Austin](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-texas-at-austin-main-campus-2764) | Austin, TX | $71,790 | $18,500 |
| [University of Chicago](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-chicago-2895) | Chicago, IL | $71,709 | not reported |
| [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill-main-campus-2990) | Chapel Hill, NC | $70,709 | $10,100 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Clinical Research Coordinators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/clinical-research-coordinators): $167,220 median pay
- [Natural Sciences Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/natural-sciences-managers): $167,220 median pay
- [Water Resource Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/water-resource-specialists): $167,220 median pay
- [Mathematicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mathematicians): $126,710 median pay
- [Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/philosophy-and-religion-teachers-postsecondary): $80,260 median pay
- [Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mathematical-science-teachers-postsecondary): $79,940 median pay

## More in Philosophy and Religious Studies

- [Religion/Religious Studies](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/religion-religious-studies): 680 colleges
- [Philosophy and Religious Studies, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/philosophy-and-religious-studies-general): 60 colleges
- [Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/philosophy-and-religious-studies-other): 56 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/