Philosophy: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Philosophy graduates earn a median $54,455 four years after finishing — $6,095/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 11.1 years. Federal data pools 717 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 7,789 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Philosophy ranks #142 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 30% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | $107,454 |
| 2 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $98,592 |
| 3 | Boston College | MA | $97,519 |
| 4 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | NY | $78,041 |
| 5 | William & Mary | VA | $75,423 |
| 6 | Fordham University | NY | $74,507 |
| 7 | University of California-Santa Barbara | CA | $71,796 |
| 8 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $71,790 |
| 9 | University of Chicago | IL | $71,709 |
| 10 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | $70,709 |
| 11 | Seton Hall University | NJ | $70,628 |
| 12 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | MA | $68,629 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.