Why This Matters
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78% EMPLOYMENT RATE 6 MONTHS AFTER GRADUATION
Data from the American Philosophical Association (APA) shows that more than three-fourths of those who complete a bachelor’s in philosophy program are employed six months after graduation.
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CHOOSE FROM 8 CAREER PATHS
Those with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy are uniquely suited to enter myriad positions. Common career paths for philosophy majors include business, teaching, ministry, mental health counseling, government, information technology, legal studies, and social work.
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EARN $70,000+ PER YEAR
According to Payscale, the average worker with this degree earns an annual salary of $74,000.
Our Research
This list features some of the best online Bachelor’s in Philosophy programs at top colleges across the country. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. The programs on our list have been accredited by reputable organizations, such as the Higher Learning Commission and New England Commission of Higher Education, that assess the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of colleges and universities.
We evaluated each school’s program on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for online students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Next, we compared this comprehensive list of online Bachelor’s in Philosophy programs to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The Top 50 Online Bachelor’s in Philosophy Programs

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What You Should Know About This Degree
Bachelor’s degrees that are similar to philosophy programs include religion and general humanities degrees. There is a lot of overlap between the classes required for philosophy and religion majors, and a degree in general studies with a focus on humanities will let you take philosophy courses for electives and as part of major requirements.
The job growth expectations for those who complete a bachelor’s in philosophy program depend on what field they go into. For example, mental health counseling jobs are expected to grow by 22% through 2031, and human resource manager jobs are expected to grow by 7%.
While there are no licenses or certificates associated with a philosophy degree, the field you go into may have specific requirements to be eligible for certain positions.
What’s Next?
Here are some questions to ask when researching online bachelor’s in philosophy programs:
- Am I eligible for this program? In general, you will just need to show proof that you completed high school to be eligible for a bachelor’s in philosophy degree. This could mean a high school diploma, GED, or the equivalent if you were homeschooled. Other materials you may be asked to submit include letters of recommendation and personal statements.
- Are courses offered synchronously or asynchronously? Many online bachelor’s programs offer classes asynchronously, which means you are able to work largely at your own pace. However, you may have to take exams or participate in class discussions at certain times.
When you are applying for an online bachelor’s in philosophy program, take note of the application deadlines. Some schools offer rolling admissions, which means you can apply at any time — once approved, you just start on the next semester. However, many programs only accept new students for the fall semester, which means you’ll need to meet the deadline in the spring or summer. If you’re interested in financial aid, you’ll want to schedule an appointment as soon as possible with the financial aid office to discuss scholarships, loans, grants, and work-study opportunities.