Philosophy at Florida International University

FIU's Philosophy program carries a significant red flag that outweighs its modest strengths: graduates earn about $31,500 their first year out, then see earnings drop to roughly $25,000 four years later—a 21% decline that's unusual even for humanities degrees. While the program beats Florida's median for philosophy majors (60th percentile statewide), that's partly because philosophy earnings in Florida run below the national average anyway. The truly positive number here is debt: at $13,134, it's less than half the typical philosophy graduate's burden nationally, giving students meaningful financial flexibility even with disappointing earnings.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift dramatically year to year, so treat the earnings decline with some skepticism. Still, the pattern suggests many graduates may be taking jobs that don't require their degree or struggling to convert philosophical training into stable employment. For context, UCF's philosophy program shows first-year earnings $3,600 higher, though even that isn't impressive.

If your child is genuinely passionate about philosophy and plans to pursue graduate school or combine this major with more marketable skills, the low debt makes FIU workable. But as a standalone bachelor's degree, philosophy here appears to lead toward underemployment rather than career advancement. The modest debt load is the program's main protection against being a poor investment.