University of Pennsylvania Philosophy: earnings, debt & careers

Philosophy graduates of University of Pennsylvania earn a median $107,454 four years after graduating ($73,053 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $18,500. That is $50,642 above the U.S. median for Philosophy graduates ($56,812 across 85 colleges), and ranks 1st of 5 Pennsylvania colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$107,454

U.S. median for this major: $56,812.

College Scorecard field of study; 79 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$73,053

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$18,500

About 17% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $21,510.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$28,699 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $89,028. College Scorecard.

University of Pennsylvania Philosophy: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of Pennsylvania graduates$107,454
Pennsylvania median (6 colleges)$64,542 (+$42,912)
U.S. median (85 colleges)$56,812 (+$50,642)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Philosophy nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses University of Pennsylvania's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$0$0under 1 year
$30–48k$316$1,296under 1 year
$48–75k$10,439$42,800under 1 year
$75–110k$25,476$104,4521.5 years
$110k+$55,972$229,4853.2 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (88% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Philosophy graduates 4 years after graduating ($107,454) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $71,657 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Philosophy at Pennsylvania colleges

Every Pennsylvania college we cover that reports Philosophy graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Pennsylvania$107,454$18,500$28,69997%
2Pennsylvania State University$65,675$23,878$32,87586%
3University of Scranton$63,410$27,000$32,56880%
4University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$52,436—$30,43486%
5Temple University$47,414$25,000$28,19875%

57 more Pennsylvania colleges offer Philosophy but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Philosophy graduates

Natural Sciences Managers

Philadelphia area$172,900
Pennsylvania$137,900
U.S.$167,220

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 Pennsylvania, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About University of Pennsylvania

Related majors at University of Pennsylvania

  • History$88,517
  • English$61,989
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Area Studies—
  • Linguistics—

University of Pennsylvania Philosophy questions

How much do University of Pennsylvania Philosophy graduates earn?

Philosophy graduates of University of Pennsylvania earn a median $107,454 four years after graduating and $73,053 one year after. The U.S. median for Philosophy graduates across 85 colleges is $56,812.

How much debt do University of Pennsylvania Philosophy graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Philosophy graduates of University of Pennsylvania is $18,500, about 17% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $21,510.

Is University of Pennsylvania a good school for Philosophy in Pennsylvania?

On pay, Philosophy graduates of University of Pennsylvania earn $107,454 four years out, $42,912 above the median for the same major across 6 Pennsylvania colleges ($64,542) and $50,642 above the U.S. median ($56,812). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does University of Pennsylvania rank for Philosophy in Pennsylvania?

Of 5 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Philosophy graduate earnings, University of Pennsylvania ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Philosophy graduates get?

A common career is natural sciences managers, with a median wage of $172,900 in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 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
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Cite this: “University of Pennsylvania Philosophy: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-pennsylvania/majors/philosophy (College Scorecard and BLS data).