Philosophy at The College of Wooster

That $27,174 starting salary ranks in the 40th percentile among Ohio's 44 philosophy programs—meaning graduates are earning less than typical philosophy majors across the state. The gap is even wider nationally, where Wooster's philosophy grads rank in just the 29th percentile. Compare this to Ohio State's philosophy graduates who earn nearly $40,000 in their first year, and you start to see the disconnect between Wooster's $1,370 SAT scores and its career outcomes in this major.

The debt picture offers some relief: $25,000 is manageable and sits below both state and national medians for philosophy programs. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.92 means graduates owe roughly what they'll earn in their first year—not terrible for a humanities degree, but not compelling either when stronger programs exist within Ohio.

Here's the reality check: with under 30 graduates in the sample, these numbers could swing significantly year to year. But even accounting for that uncertainty, paying Wooster's tuition for philosophy outcomes that trail most Ohio alternatives raises questions. Philosophy can be excellent preparation for law school or graduate studies, but if your child plans to work after graduation, they'd be better served by a program with a track record of stronger early earnings—or a much lower price tag.