Philosophy at Tulane University of Louisiana

Tulane's philosophy program punches well above its weight, with graduates earning $41,032 in their first year—roughly 30% more than the national median for philosophy majors and significantly ahead of Louisiana's typical philosophy grad at $30,627. That 80th percentile ranking among Louisiana programs is particularly meaningful given the state's lower cost of living, and it doubles the earnings of LSU's philosophy program. The $20,000 median debt is reasonable for a selective private university, translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.5 that should be manageable for most graduates.

The major caveat here is sample size: fewer than 30 recent graduates means these numbers could swing considerably year to year. That said, the earnings advantage is large enough that even with some statistical noise, this program appears to deliver strong outcomes. For families already considering Tulane, the philosophy program won't handicap career prospects—it actually outperforms most peer institutions. The real question is whether your student can secure enough financial aid to keep total debt near this $20,000 level, since attending a selective private school at full freight would change the calculation entirely. If the net price works, this program demonstrates that humanities degrees from top-tier schools can still translate into solid early earnings.