Careers in Philosophy

Students regularly ask what they can do with a degree in philosophy and religion. Their interest is fueled, in part, by parental concerns that the degree is useless. In fact, it’s quite common for people to think that philosophy and religion majors will be unemployed, underemployed, or have no useful professional skills. These are myths; they are simply not true.

Many of our students go on to graduate school, medical school, and law school. But numerous studies show that our majors have significant earning potential with a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy and religious studies.

You don't have to take just our word for it. Here are some links majors can read and pass on to their parents to help explain how our majors prepare them for professional life.

Salary comparisons (philosophers do get jobs and they end up making good money):

• "Philosophy Projected as Top-Paid Class of 2016 Humanities Major" (Report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers)
• “Philosophy Majors Don’t Get Much Respect, but Their Earnings Don’t Suck” (538.com and The NY Times.)
• "Net Return On Philosophy Major Is Comparable To That Of Engineering Major" {Daily Nous)
• “Philosophers make much more than welders” (The Washington Post)
• “Salaries of Philosophy Majors Over Time” (Daily Nous)

Jobs and skills open to philosophy and other liberal-arts majors (graduates are very versatile):

• "11 Insanely Successful Philosophy Majors" (Tech Insider)
• "Teaching kids philosophy makes them smarter in Math and English" (Quartz)
• "A Harvard Medical School professor makes the case for the liberal arts and philosophy" (Washington Post)
• "Infographic: The Value of a Liberal Arts Degree." (Daily Infographic)