Philosophy
Philosophy & Religious Studies
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,534 | $42,053 to $61,288 | 100 | 83% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +2% (2025 to 2035), about 15,000 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Sciences Managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | 9,200 |
| Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $79,940 | +1.7% | 3,900 |
| Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary | $80,260 | +2% | 1,800 |
| Mathematicians | $126,710 | +0.6% | 100 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a philosophy program, of 794 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of California-Los Angeles
- Boston College
- University of California-Santa Barbara
- University of California-Berkeley
- Columbia University in the City of New York
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- New York University
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.