Best Philosophy programs in Massachusetts, ranked by enrollment
Teach courses in philosophy, religion, and theology.
39 schools in Massachusetts run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,149 people a year. The job pays a median of $98,360 in Massachusetts across about 890 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
18 programs in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Massachusetts (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Massachusetts page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 38.0101In Massachusetts → | 333 | 29.0% | 30 | $31,618 | $22,862 |
| 2 | CIP 39.0601In Massachusetts → | 258 | 22.5% | 7 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 3 | CIP 39.0602In Massachusetts → | 162 | 14.1% | 6 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 4 | CIP 39.0699In Massachusetts → | 115 | 10.0% | 3 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 5 | CIP 51.3201In Massachusetts → | 96 | 8.4% | 3 | $99,851 | $21,475 |
| 6 | Religion/Religious Studiesmain feeder CIP 38.0201In Massachusetts → | 75 | 6.5% | 15 | $26,048 | $25,612 |
| 7 | CIP 39.0201In Massachusetts → | 45 | 3.9% | 4 | $33,182 | $25,000 |
| 8 | CIP 39.0605In Massachusetts → | 24 | 2.1% | 1 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
| 9 | CIP 39.0401In Massachusetts → | 9 | 0.8% | 2 | $32,351 | $25,937 |
| 10 | Philosophy and Religious Studies, Generalmain feeder CIP 38.0001In Massachusetts → | 8 | 0.7% | 1 | — | — |
| 11 | Christian Studiesmain feeder CIP 38.0203In Massachusetts → | 8 | 0.7% | 1 | $26,048 | $25,612 |
| 12 | CIP 38.0103In Massachusetts → | 5 | 0.4% | 1 | $31,618 | $22,862 |
| 13 | CIP 38.0199In Massachusetts → | 4 | 0.3% | 1 | $31,618 | $22,862 |
| 14 | CIP 38.0104In Massachusetts → | 2 | 0.2% | 1 | $31,618 | $22,862 |
| 15 | CIP 39.0701In Massachusetts → | 2 | 0.2% | 1 | $32,226 | $26,000 |
| 16 | CIP 30.5101In Massachusetts → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | — | — |
| 17 | CIP 39.0501In Massachusetts → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $30,092 | $27,000 |
| 18 | CIP 39.0604In Massachusetts → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $32,202 | $25,375 |
Top 25 schools in Massachusetts
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 4 of the 39 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 318 | Bioethics/Medical Ethics | — | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 2 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 170 | Theology/Theological Studies | — | 91% | $21,126 | 16% |
| 3 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 161 | Philosophy | $40,377 | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 4 | Gordon - Conwell Theological Seminary South Hamilton, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 161 | Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | Hebrew College Newton, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 30 | Rabbinical Studies | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | Hellenic College - Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology Brookline, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 30 | Divinity/Ministry | — | 44% | $14,334 | 80% |
| 7 | Tufts University Medford, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 28 | Philosophy | — | 94% | $23,570 | 11% |
| 8 | Northpoint Bible College Haverhill, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Bible/Biblical Studies | $26,859 | 54% | $27,681 | — |
| 9 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 3 feeder programs | 19 | Philosophy | — | 83% | — | 60% |
| 10 | Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 18 | Philosophy | — | 91% | $18,925 | 5% |
| 11 | University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA Public · 2 feeder programs | 15 | Philosophy | $36,581 | 49% | — | 84% |
| 12 | Gordon College Wenham, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 14 | Christian Studies | — | 69% | $23,077 | 69% |
| 13 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Philosophy | — | 86% | $25,074 | 40% |
| 14 | Saint John's Seminary Brighton, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 12 | Divinity/Ministry | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Williams College Williamstown, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 11 | Philosophy | — | 94% | $10,747 | 8% |
| 16 | Boston Baptist College Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Bible/Biblical Studies | $24,429 | 14% | $16,321 | 91% |
| 17 | College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 10 | Philosophy | — | 87% | $24,533 | 18% |
| 18 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Philosophy | — | 96% | $11,666 | 5% |
| 19 | Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 9 | Philosophy | — | 84% | $26,083 | 36% |
| 20 | Smith College Northampton, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 9 | Philosophy | — | 89% | $17,183 | 21% |
| 21 | University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Philosophy | — | 65% | — | 83% |
| 22 | Wellesley College Wellesley, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 8 | Philosophy | — | 92% | $19,292 | 14% |
| 23 | Clark University Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Philosophy | — | 77% | $23,332 | 40% |
| 24 | Suffolk University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Philosophy | — | 61% | $28,895 | 82% |
| 25 | Amherst College Amherst, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 5 | Philosophy | — | 94% | $16,081 | 9% |
All 39 schools in Massachusetts
Every school in Massachusetts with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | 318 | 7 |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill | Private not-for-profit | 170 | 5 |
| Boston University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 161 | 5 |
| Gordon - Conwell Theological Seminary | South Hamilton | Private not-for-profit | 161 | 4 |
| Hebrew College | Newton | Private not-for-profit | 30 | 3 |
| Hellenic College - Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology | Brookline | Private not-for-profit | 30 | 4 |
| Tufts University | Medford | Private not-for-profit | 28 | 2 |
| Northpoint Bible College | Haverhill | Private not-for-profit | 26 | 1 |
| University of Massachusetts - Amherst | Amherst | Public | 19 | 3 |
| Northeastern University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 18 | 2 |
| University of Massachusetts - Boston | Boston | Public | 15 | 2 |
| Gordon College | Wenham | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 2 |
| Brandeis University | Waltham | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 1 |
| Saint John's Seminary | Brighton | Private not-for-profit | 12 | 3 |
| Williams College | Williamstown | Private not-for-profit | 11 | 2 |
What philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary earn in Massachusetts
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $80,260. Massachusetts pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Massachusetts employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Massachusetts
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary page.
How to become a Philosophy
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Massachusetts
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary24 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 30.5101Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
- 38.0001Philosophy and Religious Studies, General
- 38.0101Philosophy
- 38.0103Ethics
- 38.0104Applied and Professional Ethics
- 38.0199Philosophy, Other
- 38.0201Religion/Religious Studies
- 38.0202Buddhist Studies
- 38.0203Christian Studies
- 38.0204Hindu Studies(no graduates reported)
- 38.0207Talmudic Studies
- 38.9999Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other
- 39.0201Bible/Biblical Studies
- 39.0301Missions/Missionary Studies
- 39.0401Religious Education
- 39.0501Religious/Sacred Music
- 39.0502Worship Ministry
- 39.0601Theology/Theological Studies
- 39.0602Divinity/Ministry
- 39.0604Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies
- 39.0605Rabbinical Studies
- 39.0699Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other
- 39.0701Pastoral Studies/Counseling
- 39.0703Urban Ministry
- 39.0706Chaplain/Chaplaincy Studies
Common questions
Answers for people weighing philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary programs in Massachusetts.
What degree do you need to become a Philosophy?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Philosophy, which awarded 333 degrees in Massachusetts in 2024-25, 29.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Philosophy?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 18 programs to this occupation. The largest are Theological and Ministerial Studies, Philosophy, Health Professions Education, Religion/Religious Studies, plus 6 more. Together they graduate about 1,149 people a year in Massachusetts.
How much do philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary earn in Massachusetts?+
The median is $98,360 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 22.6% above the U.S. median of $80,260. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +0.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 2,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Massachusetts?+
39 institutions in Massachusetts reported graduates from at least one of the 18 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Religion Professor, Assistant Professor, Philosophy Professor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1126.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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