Philosophy at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

The $14,151 first-year earnings figure here is startling—less than half what philosophy graduates typically earn in Texas ($33,644) and ranking in just the 10th percentile statewide. While the small sample size (under 30 graduates) demands caution, this pattern suggests something specific may be affecting outcomes: perhaps many graduates are pursuing additional education immediately, working part-time while in graduate school, or the timing of data collection caught graduates between academic years. For context, even Texas State's philosophy program—hardly an elite comparison—sees graduates earning nearly double this amount.

The $13,000 debt load is actually reasonable, sitting well below both state and national medians. But debt isn't the issue here—earning power is. A 0.92 debt-to-earnings ratio would typically signal manageable repayment, except these earnings barely exceed poverty level for a single person. UTRGV serves a predominantly lower-income student body (64% receive Pell grants), making post-graduation earning capacity especially critical for financial stability.

Given the extreme earnings gap and the program's tiny cohort, parents should treat this data as a red flag requiring direct investigation. Contact the philosophy department to understand typical graduate outcomes: How many continue to graduate school immediately? What do second-year earnings look like? Until you can verify that this figure is an anomaly rather than the norm, safer alternatives exist even within the UT system.