U.S. median for this major: $56,812.
College Scorecard field of study
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 21% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $21,510.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $41,573. College Scorecard.
Philosophy at California colleges
Every California college we cover that reports Philosophy graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $98,592 | — | $16,665 | 86% |
| 2 | University of California-Santa Barbara | $71,796 | $15,000 | $16,109 | 83% |
| 3 | California State University-Sacramento | $65,115 | $15,034 | $9,338 | 56% |
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley | $63,326 | $14,475 | $13,481 | 93% |
| 5 | University of California-Los Angeles | $61,754 | $15,000 | $12,548 | 93% |
| 6 | University of California-Davis | $58,633 | $13,200 | $14,741 | 86% |
| 7 | San Diego State University | $53,390 | $27,000 | $15,364 | 76% |
| 8 | California State University-Los Angeles | $53,127 | — | $3,967 | 53% |
| 9 | University of Southern California | $51,831 | $11,491 | $32,740 | 92% |
| 10 | University of California-Riverside | $51,402 | $19,022 | $14,304 | 76% |
| 11 | University of California-Santa Cruz | $51,398 | $15,832 | $17,890 | 75% |
| 12 | California State University-Long Beach | $49,062 | $19,281 | $10,440 | 69% |
| 13 | California State University-Northridge | $48,566 | — | $7,021 | 57% |
| 14 | California State University-Fullerton | $44,533 | — | $6,555 | 70% |
| 15 | San Francisco State University | $42,993 | $18,000 | $12,278 | 50% |
| 16 | California State University-Fresno | $42,337 | $15,000 | $7,000 | 57% |
41 more California colleges offer Philosophy but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Philosophy graduates
Natural Sciences Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +8.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at University of California-Santa Barbara, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About University of California-Santa Barbara
- Acceptance rate: 33% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 83% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $74,915
- Full cost breakdown · all 53 majors · overview
Related majors at University of California-Santa Barbara
- History$59,342
- English$59,334
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$68,496
- Area Studies$59,042
- Linguistics$61,580
University of California-Santa Barbara Philosophy questions
How much do University of California-Santa Barbara Philosophy graduates earn?
Philosophy graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara earn a median $71,796 four years after graduating and $25,303 one year after. The U.S. median for Philosophy graduates across 85 colleges is $56,812.
How much debt do University of California-Santa Barbara Philosophy graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Philosophy graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara is $15,000, about 21% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $21,510.
Where does University of California-Santa Barbara rank for Philosophy in California?
Of 16 California colleges reporting Philosophy graduate earnings, University of California-Santa Barbara ranks 2nd. The highest is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo at $98,592.
What jobs do Philosophy graduates get?
A common career is natural sciences managers, with a median wage of $175,400 in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA area and $167,220 nationally.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of California-Santa Barbara Philosophy: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-santa-barbara/majors/philosophy (College Scorecard and BLS data).