Philosophy at Binghamton University

A philosophy degree from Binghamton typically leads to first-year earnings around $25,600—about $7,700 below the state median and roughly $6,000 below the national average for philosophy majors. Among New York's 74 philosophy programs, this places Binghamton in just the 25th percentile, trailing not only elite private universities but also several CUNY campuses. The modest debt load of $26,000 keeps the debt-to-earnings ratio close to even, but that's cold comfort when the baseline earnings are this low to begin with.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) demands caution—a few students pursuing gap-year internships or graduate school could easily skew these numbers downward. Philosophy majors often pursue advanced degrees or non-linear career paths that don't show up well in first-year data. Still, even accounting for statistical noise, it's hard to ignore that Binghamton's philosophy graduates are starting behind their peers at comparable SUNY schools and far behind the state's top programs.

If your child is set on philosophy at a SUNY school, this data suggests exploring other campuses first. If Binghamton is the choice for other reasons—campus fit, honors college, or combined majors—understand that the philosophy degree alone may require strategic career planning or graduate education to reach typical mid-career earnings for college graduates.