philosophy phd rankings u s news

• October 23, 2013

In this report, we rank PhD programs in philosophy according to how well they place schools based on the prestige of their (1) Terminal MA Philosophy program placements, (2) PhD philosophy program placements, (3) US News National University placements, and (4) US News Liberal Arts placements.

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The Motivation: Why do this Study?

In my initial work on philosophy placement records, I received a lot of feedback and criticism regarding my ranking of programs by job placement type, that is, by the ratio of students that receive a tenure-track/permanent position upon graduation to all graduating students, and the ratio of students that are currently in a tenure-track/permanent/Tenured position to all graduating students.  As my main goal in that article was to focus on the question, "Will I get a Job?", it seemed appropriate to me to focus simply on that question.

While I do think this sort of ranking is important in its own right (since some students will only/mostly care about getting a stable position, no matter where it is), I do agree that this is not the whole story when it comes to placement.  As such, I have worked on a way to measure the quality of placement (i.e., the rank of the school) as opposed to merely the kind of placement (i.e., tenure-track/permanent, post-doc/researcher, lecturer/temporary) .  I do want to present as much of the full picture as I can regarding placement, so these efforts are an attempt to round out and complete the analysis.

The Method : How the Report was Created

I already had all of the placement data that I had collected for the previous article .  However, I needed a way to measure the quality of placement, both initially and currently, for each PhD program.  I found four sources to use for doing this.  The first is the terminal MA programs in philosophy rankings from the Leiter Report.   I found the average rank for each MA program from 2002 onwards, and then matched that rank up with each PhD placement to that school.  Then I found the average overall MA placement rank for each PhD program, weighted the rank by the percentage of students from the PhD program that went there, and then ranked PhD programs in order based on that weighted ranking.  Second, I used the PhD rankings from the Leiter Report to find the overall PhD placement rank using the same method as I did for the MA rankings.  Thus, these two sources can be used to measure the best overall placement into philosophy departments.

Third, I used the 2013 US News National University rankings to find the overall National University placement rank for each PhD program, using the same methods as before.  Fourth,  I used the 2013 US News Liberal Arts College rankings to find the overall Liberal Arts College placement rank for each PhD program, using the same methods as before. Thus, these two sources can be used to measure the best overall placement into universities and colleges in the US from the standpoint of which universities and colleges are currently ranked the best overall.

Each of these four methods provides a different insight into the sort of placement one can expect from a school, and as such, each can be used or not depending on a prospective student’s interest.  If he or she wants to work at the best liberal arts college possible but wants to avoid a large university and doesn’t care as much about the quality of the philosophy department, then the liberal arts rankings will be the most useful.  If a student wants to be in a great philosophy department, but does not care about the quality of the school overall, then the first two rankings will be most helpful.

(Note: there are close to 1,000 distinct schools mentioned in the placement data, and over 500 schools mentioned in the US News rankings, and sometimes, the names aren’t exactly the same, even when it is the same school.  Please be patient with me while I working on normalizing the names so that they are consistent throughout, and as such, properly represented in the dataset. Further, the definition of quality I’m using in this study is a factor of the rankings determined by the sources I note above. Many consider quality to be somewhat of a subjective measure and I’m making no claims about a particular school’s quality all things considered. This is a study based on qualitative data from sources that attempt to assign a quality measure but I acknowledge that an individual’s assessment of a quality program may differ dramatically from the assessment given in those sources.)

The Meat: Which PhD Programs Have the Best Prestige Placement Rankings?

1. prestige rankings by placement into best ma philosophy program departments.

The following lists the rank of each PhD program according to how well it initially placed graduates into the best departments featuring a terminal MA in philosophy.  The columns mean the following things (note: these will have the same meanings for each list).

PhDSchool – The PhD program that is doing the placement

AvgOverallRank (AOR)- The average overall rank of all of the MA schools (PhD schools / National Universities / Liberal Arts colleges) that a graduate was placed at.

RatioOfRankedPlacements (RRP)- The ratio of students placed into these MA schools (PhD schools / National Universities / Liberal Arts colleges) compared with the total number of graduates from that school.

WeightedRank (WR)- The AvgOverallRank / RatioOfRankedPlacements.

PlacementRankScore (PRS) – The ranking of the school based on the WeightedRank (from low to high)

Why is the weighted rank necessary? Because not all schools are ranked, I needed a way to compensate for the ratio of students each school sent to a highly ranked program.  It wouldn’t be fair if a school that only sent 1 student to a number 1 program ranked higher than a school that sent 100 students to a number 1 program and 1 student to a number 2 program.  Clearly, the ratio of students going to a ranked school should make a difference in how each PhD program is ranked.

Using the following list as an example, we can see that MIT and Stanford have the same AvgOverallRank. However, MIT has sent more of its students to these #1 schools then Stanford has.  So shouldn’t it be ranked higher? I judge that is should. Similarly, the University of California, Berkeley has an AvgOverallRank of 2 while the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor has an AvgOverallRank  of 7.4.  However, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor has sent nearly 10% of its students to highly ranked MA programs while UC, Berkeley has sent only 2% of its graduates.  Imagine that we added 10 more ranked MA programs, and UC, Berkeley had more placements to these schools than Michigan did.  Then its AvgOverallRank would be much lower.  However, since these programs are not currently being counted, it looks as though UC, Berkeley has a better MA placement than Michigan does, when in fact, the reverse may be true. Thus, the weighted rank compensates for the ratio of PhD students being sent from a department and for the lack of rankings for all schools.  A PhD program that places most of its students in moderately high programs should rank more highly than a school with very few students that end up in very highly ranked programs, since the former normally has a better placement record than the latter.  As such, the weighted rank better represents the normal placement of a school.

Now on to the rankings.  In order, the PhD programs that have the best INITIAL placement of students who place into great terminal MA philosophy departments are (1) MIT, (2) Stanford, and (3) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.   Here is the full list of all PhD programs that have initially placed students into great terminal MA philosophy departments:

In order, the PhD programs that have the best CURRENT placement of students who place into great terminal MA philosophy departments are (1) Stanford, (2) MIT, and (3) New York University.   Here is the full list of all PhD programs whose graduates are currently in great terminal MA philosophy departments:

2. Prestige Rankings by Placement into Best PhD Philosophy Program Departments

In order, the PhD programs that have the best INITIAL placement of students who place into great terminal PhD philosophy departments are (1) New York University, (2) MIT, and (3) Princeton University.   Here is the full list of all PhD programs that have initially placed students into great PhD philosophy departments:

In order, the PhD programs that have the best CURRENT placement of students who place into great PhD philosophy departments are(1) New York University, (2) MIT, and (3) Princeton University.   Here is the full list of all PhD programs whose graduates are currently in great PhD philosophy departments:

3.  Prestige Rankings by Placement into Best National Universities

In order, the PhD programs that have the best INITIAL placement of students who place into great National Universities are (1) Carnegie Mellon University, (2) MIT, and (3) University of California, Berkeley.   Here is the full list of all PhD programs that have initially placed students into great National Universities departments:

In order, the PhD programs that have the best CURRENT placement of students who place into great National Universities are (1) Carnegie Mellon University, (2) MIT, and (3) New York University.   Here is the full list of all PhD programs whose graduates are currently in great National Universities departments:

4.  Prestige Rankings by Placement into Best Liberal Arts Colleges

In order, the PhD programs that have the best INITIAL placement of students who place into great Liberal Arts Colleges are (1) New York University, (2) University of Pennsylvania, and (3) University of California, Riverside.   Here is the full list of all PhD programs that have initially placed students into great Liberal Arts Colleges:

In order, the PhD programs that have the best CURRENT placement of students who place into great Liberal Arts Colleges are(1) Washington University, St. Louis, (2) Harvard University, and (3) University of Chicago.   Here is the full list of all PhD programs whose graduates are currently in great Liberal Arts Colleges (Note: Washington University’s ranking is based on one student placing very highly.  After the school names have been normalized, I expect this rank to drop significantly.  However, to be consistent, I am leaving it as is for now):

Moving Forward: What Next?

There are lots of rankings here, and I suspect that each ranking will be more appropriate for some students compared with others.  Think about what matters most to you.  At what sort of school do you want to end up teaching initially?  At what sort of school do you want to end up teaching eventually?  A one-size-fits-all ranking system does not make sense for a diverse group of students with different goals and desires, so use these rankings along with other rankings (e.g., faculty rankings, job type placements) and other considerations (e.g., location, funding) you have to make your own ranking of schools, a ranking that suits you best.

Feel free to send me comments and suggestions on this report.

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How did Raygun qualify for the Olympics? Is she really the best Australia has to offer?

By Mawunyo Gbogbo

ABC Entertainment

Topic: Olympic Games

Rachael "Raygun" Gunn did not score a single point at the Paris Olympics. ( Getty Images: Elsa )

Since Australian breaker Rachael "Raygun" Gunn failed to score a single point in any of her Olympic bouts, many have asked how she qualified for the Games.

Fellow breaker and anthropologist Lucas Marie says she won her qualification "fair and square" last year, but African American man Malik Dixon has criticised the Olympic body for letting her in.

What's next?

Breaking will not be an event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games — a decision made before Raygun's performance.

The 2024 Paris Olympics marked breaking's debut as a sport at the global event, with 36-year-old lecturer and breaker Rachael "Raygun" Gunn representing Australia for the first time.

Having failed to win a single point in any of her Olympic bouts, Raygun quickly became a viral sensation.

The question on many people's minds now is: How did she even qualify?

Lucas Marie is a breaker who has competed, performed, taught and judged breaking competitions over the past 25 years. He's also an anthropologist who recently co-authored an article with Gunn.

He says the answer to that question is simple.

Lucas Marie recently co-authored an article with Raygun. ( Supplied )

"There was an Oceania qualifier in which any B-boy or B-girl from Australia [or] New Zealand could enter, and that was in Sydney in October 2023," he told ABC News.

"And leading up to that, there were a lot of other events in which breakers were competing.

"She won those battles fair and square and won the qualification in Sydney.

"And it wasn't really a surprise to anyone. 

"She's been fairly consistent, winning or coming second or third at a lot of breaking events in Australia for the last five to 10 years."

Marie said there was nothing out of the ordinary about Raygun's performance.

"It's not like gymnastics where there's this kind of agreed-upon standard," he said.

"It's always had a rawness to it. It's always had an improvisational kind of quality. And I think looking different and trying different stuff has always been celebrated.

"And I think Raygun, in a way, was just expressing a core kind of hip hop trait in a way a lot of breakers do."

He described her efforts as bold.

"I thought — and this is how I judge a lot of breaking events — I thought, 'Oh, she's making some really interesting choices to mimic Australian animals.' And you can kind of see the choices that she's making in the moment."

Is she the best Australia has to offer?

Team Australia chef de mission Anna Meares insisted after Raygun's performance that she was the best breaker the country had to offer. But is this true?

Lucas Marie has competed, performed, taught and judged breaking competitions for more than 25 years. ( Supplied: momentsby.naz )

"It's sometimes just who's performing better on the day," Marie said.

"And at the qualification event in which she won, and other events in which she's won, she performed better on that day and won the ticket.

"That doesn't mean she's the best. It doesn't really work like that.

"I think she's a great breaker. She won the qualification. She's won other events in the past, and she was a good representative for Australia at that competition."

Asked whether there were B-girls in Perth, regional Victoria or rural Brisbane who might have qualified but could not afford to travel to Sydney for the tryouts, Marie agreed this was possible.

"Of course, there's breakers all over the country that maybe should have been in that event, but they weren't."

Breaking will not carry over to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, a decision made before Raygun's battle.

Marie described this as sad.

"Maybe, based on the ratings, they'll reassess that and maybe allocate some medals to breaking," he said.

"I really hope that's the case, and I hope that for other breakers who want to compete in it as a dance sport."

Marie said that at the end of the day people should remember they were dealing with a human.

"As a friend of Rachael's, there's a human being who's getting a lot of negative attention," he said.

"I think people kind of miss that sometimes and forget the human aspect of all this."

'Toying with the culture'

Malik Dixon is an African American who has been living in Australia for more than a decade and is a Sydney University graduate.

He said Raygun made a total "mockery" out of breaking at the Olympics.

Malik Dixon says too many people feel entitled to African American culture. ( Supplied )

"She was dressed like a member of the cricket team or an Australian PE teacher, and from that point it just seemed like satire," Mr Dixon told ABC News.

"It just looked like somebody who was toying with the culture and didn't know how culturally significant it was being the first time in the Olympics and just how important it was to people who really cherish hip hop and one of the elements of hip hop, which is breakdancing.

"It made me think, was Borat her breakdancing coach?"

Mr Dixon said too many people felt entitled to African American culture.

"The African American space has been one where we've shared our community so much and without any restraints, any barriers, roadblocks, obstacles, any gatekeepers, that essentially what should have been African American cultural capital is just shared, which is cool," he said. 

"We like to share, right? 

"We shared 400 years of free labour.

"To see Rachael in her attempt to be a part of the culture just be grossly underwhelming made it seem like she didn't take it seriously."

Olympics body criticised for Raygun qualification

Mr Dixon criticised the body that qualified Raygun, saying she devalued breaking with her performance.

"Whatever governing body nominated her as Australia's entrant into the Olympics either did not understand the assignment or didn't really believe in the integrity or significance of breakdancing, because if they did they would just say, rather than disrespect the culture, we're just not ready to send an applicant this year."

He said Raygun was extremely audacious and not self-aware.

"You've got to know your role, know your position, know your limitation," he said. 

"And I think that part of privilege is saying that there are no limits to what I can do. 

"Part of privilege is having the authority to say that there are no limits and there are no requirements, there are no prerequisites to what I can do."

Raygun's degrees do not hold much water with Mr Dixon.

"Due to consumerism, this Foundational Black American product, which is hip hop, is global," he said.

"And even people who have no connection to any African Americans or any local or regional things that come out in these songs, they have become a part of the whole experience now.

"If I came in and said that I was an authority on Greek music and I was going against the grain of what the mainstream Greek musicians thought, or the school of thought, and I've said that I was the authority, people would check me on that.

"If I had a PhD in sprinting, does that qualify me to go against Noah Lyles? No, it doesn't."

He also doubts Raygun was the best breaker Australia had to offer.

"[There's] got to be somebody out here that's better than that! The kangaroo! The sprinkler! She did the sprinkler out there, man!" he said.

Should everybody just lighten up?

Should we lighten up? Mr Dixon does not believe so.

"Larrikinism is used as a get-out-of-jail-free card and to escape responsibility of how words or actions impact a hurt person," he said.

"But when the majority culture is offended, there's no playing around.

"This is a part of my culture, and I don't think Australians are in a place to tell me how I should feel about breakdancing being mocked on an international stage.

"People who don't have any or limited access to black people or hip hop culture now may see Rachael and her buffoonery as a representation of hip hop and black culture.

"People who were already side-eyeing breakdancing as an Olympic sport, Rachael Gunn has put the nail in that coffin.

"This might be the most viral clip of the whole Olympics. From a comedy standpoint, she's got it, but from an Olympics perspective, its regressive."

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BC Philosophy program among top 30 worldwide

The program is 12th in the U.S. and 30th in the world, according to the latest 2023 QS World University Rankings

Boston College’s Philosophy program is ranked 30th best worldwide, up from 41st in 2022, according to the newly released 2023 QS World University Rankings, considered to be among the most influential and prestigious surveys of higher education institutions worldwide.

Prepared by the London-based Quacquarelli Symonds, QS examined the academic reputation, employer reputation, and research impact of more than 13,000 individual university programs to configure this year’s rankings of 48 academic disciplines.

Among U.S. universities, the BC Philosophy Department placed 12th— a one-level improvement over last year’s ranking — and is one of only two U.S. Catholic institutions in the top 30 overall, along with University of Notre Dame. It also is the only philosophy program within a U.S. Jesuit university ranked among the top 50 worldwide.

Joseph Professor of Catholic Philosophy Dermot Moran, chair of the Philosophy Department. (Lee Pellegrini)

“The QS recognition is significant and primarily the result of the hard work and great dedication of our faculty, students, and staff,” said Dermot Moran, the Joseph Professor of Catholic Philosophy and chair of the department. “But it is also due, I believe, to the distinctiveness of BC’s approach to philosophy, in which we are very focused on understanding its central role in the intellectual and moral formation of our students.  We also appreciate how philosophy factors in the framing and reframing of the larger and enduring questions of our times.”

The department specializes in the history of philosophy, continental philosophy, and practical philosophy, and each area is explored in a broad humanistic and interdisciplinary way to offer resources for deep reflection on contemporary questions and concerns. The faculty consists of over 30 full-time members, as well as regular visiting professors from the U.S. and abroad.

Phil Gloudemans | University Communications | March 2023

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Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

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Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

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2024 Best Philosophy Schools

Choosing a great philosophy school, philosophy rankings by degree level, best schools for philosophy in the united states, 11 top schools in philosophy.

There were approximately 209 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Those philosophy students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania make $30,821 more than the standard philosophy graduate.

There were about 29 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available.

There were approximately 85 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the philosophy program report average early career earnings of $28,698.

There were about 69 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the philosophy degree program at Emory University make $3,003 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

There were approximately 78 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Philosophy degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York earn a boost of around $8,036 over the typical earnings of philosophy graduates.

There were about 108 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent year we have data available. Philosophy degree recipients from Boston College receive an earnings boost of around $21,227 over the typical income of philosophy graduates.

There were about 72 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the philosophy program state that they receive average early career wages of $28,506.

There were about 27 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the philosophy program report average early career wages of $31,978.

There were approximately 91 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Philosophy degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn a boost of around $5,780 above the typical earnings of philosophy majors.

There were roughly 71 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Philosophy degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill receive an earnings boost of around $5,532 above the typical income of philosophy graduates.

There were about 77 philosophy students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the philosophy degree program at University of Wisconsin - Madison earn $5,207 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

Honorable Mentions

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Graduate Program

Wiley blackwell publishes new rankings: , uc san diego philosophy department ranks in top 20 philosophy programs in the u.s..

The Department of Philosophy at UC San Diego boasts a highly distinguished faculty and an excellent PhD program, with roughly 42 full-time students in residence , in

• Science Studies (along with History, Communications, and Sociology), and
• Cognitive Science (along with Cognitive Science).

The faculty engage in research throughout a broad range of traditional and interdisciplinary topics, with special strengths in

• moral and political philosophy (metaethics, political philosophy, philosophy of law)
• history of philosophy (ancient, early modern, Kant)
• philosophy of mind and language (perception, cognitive science) and
• philosophy of science (physics, biology, ecology).

We take seriously our obligation to help produce the next generation of researchers and teachers in philosophy. Prospective students are encouraged to look over the information on faculty research and publications included under Areas of Study .

The Setting

UC San Diego is a  nationally acclaimed research university  spread out over 1,200 of the most scenic acres in America, much of it on bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. UC San Diego ranks as among the top 20 best universities in the world ( U.S. News & World Report , 2016 Academic Ranking of Wold Universities released by the Center for World-Class Universities at Shanghai Jiao Tong, and The Center for the World University Rankings). Graduate programs at UC San Diego continue to rank highly as noted in the 2016 “America’s Best Graduate Schools” guidebook. UC San Diego boasts an extraordinary array of Nobel laureates, MacArthur Fellows, and national academy members.

Diversity Statement

Our department seeks to do all it can to make philosophy an inclusive discipline. We understand the value that diversity brings to philosophical inquiry, and that the health of our profession depends on greater inclusion of under-represented groups. As a leading Ph.D. program, we play an important role in training and cultivating a diverse philosophical community. One of our most important goals is thus to recruit and sustain a diverse graduate student body .

To realize this goal, we

• encourage a full range of applicants with diverse backgrounds, for instance from two-year community colleges (especially in California), from colleges with traditionally underrepresented minorities, and from “non-elite” undergraduate institutions;
• provide financial support, academic assistance, and mentoring that reflects the diverse needs of a diverse population;
• strive for a curriculum that illustrates that a diverse group of philosophers have contributed in the past, and should contribute in the future to the richness of philosophy;
• continuously strive toward an environment of greater inclusion and respect through critical self-examination, paying due attention both to overt forms of prejudice or exclusion and to its subtler manifestations.

Graduate Class Size

In any given year, there are usually between 35 to 45 philosophy graduate students in residence, almost all of whom are full-time students.

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Caroline Wells Graduate Program Coordinator Hours: Contact via email Email:  [email protected]

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Kerry McKenzie Director of Graduate Studies Phone: (858) 534-2566 Email:  [email protected]

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The 10 Best Philosophy Schools in the US

One of the most underrated majors within a liberal arts school, philosophy is an exciting and expansive area of study that offers promising and fulfilling careers for its graduates. 

A recent survey of nearly 1.5 million college graduates identified philosophy as the top-earning humanities bachelor’s degree from the beginning to end stages of one’s career, with a median salary of $82,000. 

Philosophy programs emphasize skills in critical thinking, research, academic writing, and argumentative debate – companies in diverse fields highly desire these skills.

You’re likely familiar with many philosophy graduates . 

Within the government realm, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer obtained a philosophy BA from Stanford, and former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg earned his BA in philosophy, politics, and economics from Oxford University. 

Activists Malala Yousafzai and Angela Davis were philosophy majors, as were PayPal founder Peter Thiel, Pope John Paul II, and writer Simone de Beauvoir.

We have compiled a list of the ten best philosophy colleges in the US. The methodology for this list was created as an “averaged” & aggregated ranking. We assigned a score to every school on the list based on its positioning in other published ranking lists. We have included our sources at the end of the article. 

Read on to discover more about the 10 best philosophy schools in the country!

10. Duke University (Durham, NC)

Duke University’s philosophy department comprises several hundred undergraduate students, and its faculty network has published over 65 books , including Emotion and Virtue , Neuroscience and Philosophy , and Clean Hands? Philosophical Lessons from Scrupulosity .

The school offers 11 philosophy and affiliate degrees, and learning objectives challenge undergraduates to develop a deep understanding of topics like deductive logic, metaphysics, and ethics. 

All philosophy majors will write several critical papers and are encouraged to produce a senior honors thesis, should their GPA qualify.

Various summer learning opportunities exist for philosophy majors in exciting locations like Switzerland and Greece. 

Duke’s campus is home to an array of programs and centers devoted exclusively to philosophy, such as the Kenan Institute of Ethics , an interdisciplinary “think tank” dedicated to promoting moral consideration within the policy-making realm.

9. University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN)

Notre Dame boasts the largest philosophy department in the United States. As a Catholic university, the school is committed to merging faith with reason. 

More than 150 students are enrolled in philosophy courses in any given semester, and the department regularly features in lists honoring the top 20 philosophy departments within the English-speaking sphere.

All philosophy majors take three foundational courses before branching into a specialized focus. Undergraduate courses typically take the shape of intimate, discussion-led seminars of fewer than 15 students. Honors majors must complete a year-long senior thesis in collaboration with a faculty advisor. 

One of Notre Dame’s newest interdisciplinary majors in philosophy, science, and mathematics is the only program of its kind in the nation and is ideal for students who wish to merge STEM studies with ethical considerations.

Employment prospects for Notre Dame graduates in philosophy are promising. 97% sustained full-time employment, enrolled in graduate-level programs, joined the United States military, or developed start-up organizations within six months of commencement.

8. Yale University (New Haven, CT)

Yale’s philosophy department was recently ranked first out of 143 peer departments, according to the Academic Philosophy Data and Analysis. 

The school’s philosophy curriculum is organized into three categories: the history of philosophy, metaphysics and epistemology, and ethics and value theory. 

Generally, philosophy majors are required to complete 12 credits in addition to electives in areas like linguistics, political science, and the classics.

Philosophy majors can enroll in a seminar to meet a senior requirement ; in this scenario, they draft a final paper and collaborate in small tutorial groups to receive feedback and refine their writing. 

Yale emphasizes a significant focus on critical thinking and academic writing within its curriculum, and students can expect a heavy revision process.

The department regularly organizes undergraduate students’ special events, such as the Colloquium Series . 

Here, guest speakers from Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Rutgers, and other prestigious universities visit Yale’s campus every 3-4 weeks to discuss various topics in philosophy.

7. UCLA (Los Angeles, CA)

One of two institutions representing the west coast on our list, UCLA prides itself on maintaining a reputation as one of the top-ranked doctoral philosophy programs in the United States. 

Its particular strengths are in the philosophy of law, philosophy of language, and philosophy of mathematics, among other concentrations.

After taking four prerequisites , declared philosophy majors complete 13 courses in history, semantics, ethics, and metaphysics. 

Undergraduates are eligible for various prizes , such as the Gloria Rock Award for underrepresented groups who intend to pursue a graduate degree in philosophy, or the Kalish Prize, awarded to one or several of the department’s highest achieving undergraduates.

Outside the classroom, students can join the undergraduate Philosophy Club , which meets every Tuesday night to hold discussions, contribute to the Meditations philosophy journal, and hold debates and club-to-club discussions. 

Those curious about learning what careers exist for philosophy majors benefit from attending the Being in the World series, which interviews two alumni weekly. 

Previous guests have specialized in urban studies, user experience design, software engineering, and teaching.

6. Stanford University (Stanford, CA)

Stanford’s philosophy curriculum devotes special attention to interdisciplinary issues in collaboration with the literature, science, and gender and sexuality studies departments, to name a few. 

Undergraduates who major in philosophy choose from one of two subcategories: philosophy and literature or history and philosophy of science. There is an additional combined major in philosophy and religious studies.

Various affiliated academic programs distinguish Stanford’s philosophy department from its competitors. The interdisciplinary McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society studies ethical questions within the context of actual social problems. 

Philosophy undergraduates may be found attending lectures on recent topics like “AI and Human Values,” “Living in Utopia,” and “How a Pandemic Becomes a Story: Narrative and Social Crisis in the Platform Age.” 

The Philosophy Talk podcast hosts weekly conversations that challenge listeners to reconsider their assumptions in a fun, approachable context. 

Many alumni gain employment as professors at schools featured on this list and may even return to Stanford as podcast guests!

5. University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)

Undergraduates select from four concentrations , most of which entail 16 required courses. 

Those majoring in philosophy and science might enroll in a class like Bioethics , which prompts students to consider procreative responsibilities, sperm and egg marketing, euthanasia, and life-saving therapies.

Within the political and moral philosophy major, an undergraduate might take a class called The Social Contract, where they survey the works of celebrated thinkers like Hobbes, Mill, and Rawls. 

They also analyze an array of contract theories, criticisms, and alternatives, like utilitarianism. Penn’s philosophy program graduates enjoy successful careers in law, medicine, computer science, journalism, and teaching, among other fields. 

Penn stands out from peer institutions via engagements like the Project for Philosophy for the Young, where students work with K-12 public school teachers to instill philosophical themes into their daily lesson plans. The Prison Project offers free courses in philosophy and mathematics to incarcerated persons in the nearby area. 

Finally, the Galápagos Education and Research Alliance (GERA) works to protect the Galápagos against climate change by teaching conservation.

4. University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)

One of the oldest philosophy departments in the country, UChicago hired John Dewey as its first chair. 

Several eminent scholars like Hannah Arendt, Bertrand Russell, and Leo Strauss have worked as faculty members in the 100+ years since his tenure.

UChicago is another school on our list, taking an interdisciplinary approach to studying philosophy. 

Undergraduates are encouraged to take courses in psychology, foreign languages, and cinema and media studies, for example. 

The philosophy department is aware of its strengths , and its faculty are experts in German idealism, ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, and Aristotelian virtue ethics. 

The school does not offer courses in Eastern philosophy, though it does welcome visiting guest lecturers specializing in Buddhism, Islamic thought, and South Asian languages.

Typically, 150-200 UChicago students declare themselves philosophy majors each year. More than half of graduates gain employment in the business sphere, 20% become consultants, and many enter the nonprofit world. 

Awards like the Seidel Scholars Grant assist philosophy majors in completing a career-related independent project to translate their skills into fulfilling careers post-graduation.

3. Columbia University (New York, NY)

Columbia University’s philosophy department is chaired by Christopher A. B. Peacocke , who has enjoyed teaching positions at top universities like Oxford, Berkeley, NYU, UCLA, and Stanford. 

Peacocke and other acclaimed faculty support students in their endeavor to earn 30 credits in ancient, medieval, and modern philosophy, among other topics.

Undergraduates may also elect to pursue a joint interdisciplinary major in economics and philosophy , wherein they navigate topics of rationality, decision-making, social justice, and collective choice. 

All students will complete a senior thesis in their final year of study. They choose a topic of interest and conduct intensive research to pen a 30-40 page argumentative paper under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Various extracurricular opportunities, such as the Meade Anderson Undergraduate Philosophy Forum , attract passionate philosophy majors. 

Any students may attend these informal discussions on a variety of philosophical topics. 

Other undergraduates contribute to “ The Gadfly ,” which serves as Columbia’s philosophy magazine. Its issues feature academic papers, interviews, and other pieces on topics like the rhetoric of American political power, violence, and the phenomenon of the “philosophy bro.”

2. Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)

If one were to peer inside a Harvard philosophy class, they might find studies immersed in discussions centered on the justification of punishment, interpretation of language in the United States Constitution, and ethical challenges of the climate change crisis. 

One of the department’s assets is that it stipulates minimal prerequisites: students can take courses in whichever order they deem appropriate for their pursuits.

Many undergraduates participate in self-funded independent research projects. The Harvard-Cambridge Scholarship Committee generally funds 8-12 eight-week summer scholarships to undergraduates interested in studying at Cambridge University in the UK. 

Harvard hosts several exciting programs on campus, such as the History of Philosophy Workshop , which meets irregularly throughout the year to discuss such issues as “Locke on Complex Ideas and Ethics of Belief,” and “Leibniz’ Theory of Space and the Newton Affair.” 

The Embedded EthiCS program infuses ethics modules into courses within the Harvard computer science curriculum, challenging students to consider whether or not certain technologies should be developed.

1. Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)

Within 20-30 students in each senior cohort, Princeton philosophy majors enjoy intimate class sizes and lively discussions on a variety of topics.

In their junior year of study, undergraduates join independent work groups of 2-5 members that meet weekly to discuss class readings and develop a final paper of 5,000 words (minimum). 

Juniors choose their own topics, receive feedback from their peers, and give an oral presentation on their findings.

In an undergraduate student’s senior year , they devote significant time to completing a senior thesis of 10,000 to 15,000 words on a topic of their choice. 

At the same time, they prepare for a cumulative departmental exam and an oral exam on their thesis topic. Students are eligible to win thesis prizes that range from $500 to several thousand dollars.

Outside of their coursework obligations, philosophy majors attend a colloquium series called Friday Talks . 

Guest speakers – chosen by the previous year’s student and faculty cohort – come from world-renowned philosophy departments in schools like Georgetown, UC Berkeley, and the University of Toronto. 

Recent graduates of Princeton’s philosophy program excel in stimulating positions as lawyers, human rights officers, professors, researchers, and journalists. 

Here are the sources for our aggregated ranking.

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Department of Geography

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The Ph.D. is a different kind of degree from the master’s degree. A doctoral candidate in geography must be capable of making original contributions to knowledge and scholarship. For the students to make such contributions, they must concentrate on a narrow and clearly defined field of study. We require, however, that doctoral candidates know more of geography than their particular specialties; thus, any aspirant for a doctorate must obtain master’s training or its equivalent before being admitted to doctoral candidacy. In short, admission to doctoral candidacy is official recognition that a student’s general foundation in the breadth of geography is satisfactory. Students then devote their attention to developing depth in chosen specialties.

The general requirements for a doctoral degree in geography are more rigorous than those for a master’s degree. At the same time, the greater flexibility of the doctoral program allows advanced students to pursue programs of study tailored to their special interests and needs.

Progress through the degree is marked by: 

• Successful performance in a verbal qualifying exam; 
• Four-day written comprehensive exam, with a verbal portion after the written answers have been assessed by the committee;  
• Formal dissertation proposal; and 
• Verbal defense of a completed dissertation.

The four-year Ph.D. program is reserved for students who have a master’s degree from another graduate program. That can be another geography program at another university, a non-geography program at another university, or a non-geography program at Penn State.

Students entering the four-year Ph.D. program must take the doctoral qualifying exam in their first year. A committee from three of the four fields of geography and formally appointed by the Graduate Program Officer will administer the qualifying exam. The qualifying exam can take place any time during the year, but students in the four-year Ph.D. program typically take it during spring semester.

Students in the four-year Ph.D. program complete a comprehensive exam and defend their dissertation proposal in the second year. Depending on the needs of their research, and in agreement with their doctoral committee, students can fulfill these two requirements in either order. Once students have successfully passed their comprehensive exam and defended their proposal, they typically take two years to research, write, and defend their dissertations.

Our online Graduate Student Handbook explains the program requirements for all degrees.

Best Universities for Philosophy in the World

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in the World ranked based on their research performance in Philosophy. A graph of 315M citations received by 19.8M academic papers made by 6,566 universities in the World was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Sao Paulo

For Philosophy

2. Stanford University

3. University of California - Berkeley

4. Harvard University

5. University of Toronto

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7. University of Oxford

8. University College London

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

10. Cornell University

11. University of Cambridge

12. University of Washington - Seattle

13. State University of Campinas

14. University of California - Los Angeles

15. Columbia University

16. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

17. National Autonomous University of Mexico

18. University of Pennsylvania

19. Yale University

20. University of Wisconsin - Madison

21. Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

22. New York University

23. Carnegie Mellon University

24. Pierre and Marie Curie University

25. University of British Columbia

26. University of California-San Diego

27. Princeton University

28. University of Texas at Austin

29. University of Chicago

30. University of Liege

31. University of Montreal

32. Sao Paulo State University

33. Pennsylvania State University

34. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

35. Catholic University of Leuven

36. Ohio State University

37. Johns Hopkins University

38. University of Southern California

39. University of Edinburgh

40. University of Maryland - College Park

41. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

42. McGill University

43. University of Amsterdam

44. University of Manchester

45. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

46. Complutense University of Madrid

47. Autonomous University of Barcelona

48. Arizona State University - Tempe

49. Federal University of Minas Gerais

50. University of Pittsburgh

51. University of Barcelona

52. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

53. University of Granada

54. Federal University of Santa Catarina

55. University of Sydney

56. University of Buenos Aires

57. University of Arizona

58. University of Melbourne

59. Michigan State University

60. Heidelberg University - Germany

61. Northwestern University

62. University of Florida

63. Boston University

64. University of Alberta

65. Duke University

66. University of Brasilia

67. University of Ottawa

68. University of Munich

69. University of California - Davis

70. University of Tokyo

71. University of Chile

72. Imperial College London

73. Utrecht University

74. Tel Aviv University

75. King's College London

76. National University of Singapore

77. University of Copenhagen

78. Laval University

79. Technical University of Munich

80. University of the State of Rio de Janeiro

81. University of Queensland

82. University of California - San Francisco

83. University of Iowa

84. Texas A&M University - College Station

85. University of Virginia

86. University of Valencia

87. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

88. University of Zurich

89. University of Hong Kong

90. Tsinghua University

91. University of Vienna

92. Hebrew University of Jerusalem

93. Australian National University

94. University of California - Irvine

95. University of Seville

96. University of Hamburg

97. Monash University

98. Washington University in St Louis

99. University of New South Wales

100. National University of Colombia

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in the World

Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy

Statement on Rankings

Beyond Rankings: How to Choose a Program in Continental Philosophy

The American Philosophical Association has expressed reservations about the usefulness of all-purpose rankings of programs in philosophy. SPEP concurs that such rankings are not particularly helpful to prospective students in deciding about graduate school, or to their faculty advisors. Students want to know which programs will match their interests and abilities, and generic rankings cannot help individual students make decisions that are tailored to their particular interests. The main problem is that students often do not know how to determine the depth and breadth of programs that claim a strength in some area. SPEP provides a list of programs that have requested to be included as friendly to continental philosophy, but students who wish to focus on continental philosophy or include it as a substantive part of their studies should certainly evaluate all programs claiming a strength in continental philosophy to find ones that will really complement their interests. SPEP advises prospective graduate students to be aware that some rankings of philosophy programs, such as the Philosophical Gourmet Report, are largely subjective and should accordingly be taken with a grain of salt.

SPEP remains independent of all rankings and does not endorse any of them .

SPEP believes that the following list of things to look for in graduate programs with concentrated strengths in continental philosophy may assist students in considering particular programs. In addition to print publications, most departments now have websites containing all kinds of information valuable to students researching graduate programs. The difficulty lies in knowing what to look for. SPEP suggests that students begin their research by looking for the following pieces of information on websites and in other department publications:

• How many faculty members claim a specialization in continental philosophy or in continental figures or traditions? What proportion of the total faculty claim such a specialization? Serious graduate work is often best carried out in programs with several faculty members engaged in continental scholarship, rather than just one or two.
• Department websites will often include faculty curricula vitae (academic resumes) that list their publications: books, articles, and presentations. Look at the titles of these publications: do they address continental figures, traditions, topics, or themes.
• Find listings of department lecture series, conferences, and other events hosted by the department: do the topics, themes, and titles of these presentations include continental figures and traditions? Again, what is the proportion of events in continental philosophy to all of the department’s events?
• Look for any visiting faculty or distinguished scholars in residence: what are their interests and specializations? Are there well-known European or continental scholars or philosophers?  What is their proportion of the total of visiting faculty?
• How many exchange programs and institutional affiliations with European universities, archives, and institutes does the department support for graduate students? Does the department provide scholarships for study abroad?
• Is there a language requirement, especially in French and/or German, for the degree? Does the department provide scholarships for language study?
• Look at the list of courses for as many semesters as you can find: what proportion of all graduate courses offered cover or rely on continental traditions, figures, themes, and topics?
• If possible, try to find or request from the department a list of titles and abstracts of recent dissertations — what are the graduate students who complete the program interested in? What are they working on?

SPEP acknowledges that excellent scholarship in the continental tradition is carried on in departments of all sorts. The above points are meant simply to help students look for the kind of information that no generic ranking of departments can provide.

Revised: 21 August 2011.

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QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022: Philosophy

Discover where to study with the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022.

The QS World University Rankings by Subject are based upon academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact. You can learn more by reading our methodology . 

Use the interactive table below to filter the rankings by location and select individual universities for more information.

Interested in more than one study area? The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022 cover 51 different subjects, see the full list .

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Top 30 Philosophy PhD Programs According to APDA

Academic Placement Data and Analysis (APDA), which collects data about and produces a ranking of PhD programs in philosophy, has recently posted details about the top 30 programs on its ranking, including comments about the programs from the students.

The rankings are based on overall student ratings of programs. Entries for each program note several additional factors, including research preparation, teaching preparation, financial support, and climate. Job placement data is also included, as are keywords frequently used to describe each program.

For an example, below are the entries on the philosophy programs at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (ranked 5th) and at Georgetown University (ranked 15th):

5) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Keywords chosen by past graduates/current students: Analytic, Ancient, Contemporary, Early Modern, Epistemology, Ethics, Historical, History and Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics, Mind, Political

Average program ratings by graduates 2011 and later or current students: 4.7 overall rating (definitely would recommend) 4.3 teaching preparation (satisfied) 4.1 research preparation (satisfied) 4.1 financial support (satisfied) 4.1 program climate (satisfied)

Job placement of graduates 2011 and later: 64 total, 35 in permanent academic jobs, 5 in non-academic jobs (59% placement rate)

Student Comments on Program Overall:

Community of graduate students; collegiality and availability of faculty; location; overall strength of university; broad strengths of the faculty; strong financial support

Faculty engaged and deeply committed. Friendly, inclusive student climate.

Faculty invested in graduate student success. Rigorous academic environment. Excellent graduate student peers. Opportunities for academic engagement beyond the classroom and research, especially through the PPE program and Parr Center for Ethics.

Friendly and collegial faculty and fellow grad students. Cooperative and supportive environment. Teaching and service opportunities abound.

Friendly atmosphere; Supportive faculty; Great university

Good community of scholars. Strong professional support, e.g. on job market.

Good education, good professional connections, awful climate for grad students, especially for women.

My fellow graduate students were the best aspect of the program: I made some wonderful friends. It was not a competitive environment; I was able to do my work while maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Overall strength of the program; congeniality of the faculty; positive atmosphere among the graduate students; adequate funding; good location; lots of structure to the program; ample teaching opportunities

Strength of faculty; location; strength and reputation of university; culture and community within department; well though-out graduate program; opportunities for teaching and research; good funding

Strong mentoring by faculty, collegial environment among graduate students. Focus on both expert domain knowledge and breadth of philosophical training in coursework and per-dissertation seminars.

The faculty were extremely supportive, the graduate student climate was lively and non-competitive, and I received good training in an array of areas.

The program emphasizes providing graduate students with a rigorous general education in mainstream contemporary analytic philosophy and the history of Western philosophy (though not other philosophical traditions). The program is thus highly structured and involves many requirements. While some find these requirements to be onerous, I have generally found them to be valuable and intellectually enriching. Graduate students have many opportunities to teach their own courses as the instructor of record, and there is a strong community of graduate students who are interested in teaching and philosophy pedagogy. Between the philosophy department and the affiliated Parr Center for Ethics and PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) Program, there are an abundance of interesting events to attend.

When I was there the most successful students were working on three topics: philosophy of science, ethics, and early modern philosophy. political philosophy did pretty well too. The other topics had good people, but success rates for their students were lower. But there has been a fair bit of faculty turnover since I was there, so it is hard to say much about how things stand now. But I can say that [Name removed] was amazing. [They] made sure we had an actual placement program that actually prepared people for the job market.

15) Georgetown University

Keywords chosen by past graduates/current students: Analytic, Applied, Bioethics/Medical Ethics, Continental, Epistemology, Ethics, Gender/Feminist, German, Interdisciplinary, Phenomenology, Pluralist, Political, Pragmatism

Average program ratings by graduates 2011 and later or current students: 4.4 overall rating (somewhat likely to recommend) 4.5 teaching preparation (very satisfied); 4.1 research preparation (satisfied); 3.3 financial support (neutral); 4.2 program climate (satisfied)

Job placement of graduates 2011 and later: 48 total, 22 in permanent academic jobs, 11 in non-academic jobs (59% placement rate)

Congenial environment, supportive and engaged faculty, large and pluralistic department.

Having an underdog mentality, the department tries harder than many on placement. Consequently (mixing metaphors) it punches above its weight.

Helpful, Warm, Nurturing. They will go the extra miles to help you succeed

I was able to pursue my research interests but also given good strategic advice about which courses to take/specializations to pursue to prepare myself for the job market. The program provided a vibrant graduate student community and more or less adequate financial support for a single person to live in DC. I also had good access to professionalization activities like conferences and workshops as well as teaching training. I feel that the program prepared me well to become a professional academic.

Pluralistic faculty that gets along. Supportive, thoughtful environment. Excellent placement preparation.

Rigorous. Pluralist. Respectful. Supportive. Caring.

The faculty provided excellent training in normative and applied ethics. The program is closely affiliated with an ethics center that offered more resources and provided opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations.

Warm, supportive, heterogenous, diverse

The details on all 30 programs in the top quartile of APDA’s rankings are here .

A table of the top quartile rankings is available here and is reproduced below:

Other data from APDA is available here .

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• Top Philosophy Schools

There are numerous factors that make schools the top philosophy schools. When international students seek to attend the best philosophy schools they should take into account these numerous factors and find the one that is not just the "best" but the best for them.

Finding the best school of philosophy at which to study can be a difficult process. There are at least four major concerns that one should consider when choosing a school: 1) School Ranking 2) Price 3) Focus and 4) Degree level. The school ranking can be easily determined online; however, it does not take into account the culture, environment, and fit of the school for the students. Price varies greatly from school to school, and can be of special concern to international students who have to pay full tuition rates; however, there are financial aid opportunities. There are many different kinds of philosophy and different schools focus on different types of philosophy, so potential students must check the focus of the philosophy department to make sure it is a good fit. Finally, there are significant differences between pursuing a philosophy degree as a BA, MA, or PhD, which will affect what school the student should consider.

This is all to say that when considering the top philosophy schools, potential international students should consider the best philosophy schools for them! The top academic rankings of a school can be obtained pretty easily through the "Philosophical Gourmet Report". The Report is an online peer-reviewed source, which is ranked by the top philosophers in the world. The schools and philosophy departments reviewed by the schools are ranked solely by the prestige and philosophical merit of the faculty themselves.

The "top" school of philosophy in the U.S. is New York University . Reviewing the Report, one can see pretty easily that most of the other top philosophy schools are generally Ivy League schools, but as in the case of NYU, not necessarily. Attending one of these top philosophy schools will mean that the student studies with famous and well-published philosophers, and he or she will earn a degree that is well-respected in the field, and outside of it. However, simply because a school is top rated does not mean that it is a good fit for the student.

Some international students prefer a smaller setting that emphasizes problem-solving and critical thinking skills. SUNY Brockport has a small but dedicated faculty where students get small sized classes to encourage discussion and thought about political philosophy, medical ethics, Asian philosophy, Ancient Greek philosophy, modern philosophy, and other areas. As part of this hands on approach, SUNY Brockport offers a premier lecture series that brings well regarded philosophers to discuss their findings and encourage the debate.

International students should also be aware of pricing when considering a school. Many philosophy departments who are looking to recruit international students may offer scholarships to those who are hard working with good grades. What the school will be most interested in on the PhD level is the quality of thought that the student produces through writing. International students should be sure to explore all financial aid options, their ability to pay, and what the true cost of their education will be before committing to a school.

Top schools for philosophy should be evaluated based on their focus rather than overall ranking. A student who is considering a graduate degree should not attend NYU just because it is the top school as it may not offer the branch of philosophy he or she wants to pursue. Potential students can review the philosophical gourmet report not just by overall ranking, but by department, too. A school that is ranked relatively low in the overall rankings might rank #1 in a specialty philosophy field. Florida State University , for example is low on the overall rankings, but is ranked #1 in "Action Theory." For this reason, students pursuing a philosophy degree should be careful to make sure that the top school focuses on their areas of interest. Students should take the time to contact by phone, email, or, preferably, in person, the faculty member with whom they would be studying. A low ranking school might have a fantastic faculty that is top in its particular field in philosophy, and most importantly, is highly supportive of its student body.

The importance of attending a top school of philosophy differs between degree levels. For example, only a few schools offer Master's degrees in applied philosophies, because it is a specialty field. Undergraduates should not be too concerned with the rankings of top schools, if their goal is to become professional philosophers. A student with a BA from a lower ranking and affordable school still had a good chance of acceptance in one of the top philosophy schools if his or her thoughts are philosophically sounds and writing is good.

Potential graduate students, however, should give a great deal of time to thinking about the ranking in the report of the best philosophy schools. These students should take the time to consider what areas of philosophy are their strengths and consider applying to those schools ranked highly in those areas. The application process should include contacting the department and speaking with the faculty who specialize in the student's area of interest. As it is highly likely that the student will be working with that faculty member during the years of his or her dissertation, it is important that the student and faculty are a good fit together.

Here is a list of the top five schools by overall ranking and also by a few examples of philosophical focus:

Top Philosophy Schools, Overall

• New York University
• Rutgers University, New Brunswick
• Princeton University
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, north, mid-west
• Harvard University

Metaphysics

• Cornell University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Oxford University

Epistemology

• Yale University
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Political Philosophy

• University of Arizona
• Brown University
• Duke University

Applied Ethics

• Georgetown University

Ancient Philosophy

• Cambridge University
• University of Toronto
• Stanford University

Feminist Philosophy

• University of Colorado, Boulder
• University of Sheffield
• University of Washington, Seattle

Are you looking for the Top Political Science Schools in the US instead?

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Learn more about studying philosophy in the USA by reading our growing article collection.

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