Philosophy and Religious Studies at James Madison University

The data here is too thin to tell you much. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers could swing dramatically with just a few data points—maybe the class included two future ministers and one investment banker, skewing everything. The fact that JMU's philosophy program appears to match both national and state medians exactly suggests the sample may be rounded or limited rather than truly representative.

What we can say: the debt load of $24,734 is manageable relative to starting earnings, with graduates owing less than their first-year salary. That's a better ratio than many humanities programs achieve. However, $28,712 straight out of college is tight—roughly $14 per hour if working full-time. You'll need to think hard about whether your child has family support for those early years or a clear plan for graduate school, where philosophy majors often find their footing.

The real question isn't whether JMU's program is good or bad—we simply don't have reliable data to judge. What matters more is whether your child is genuinely drawn to philosophical thinking and has a realistic plan for converting that training into a career, whether through law school, ministry, teaching, or another path where critical reasoning skills command a premium.