Philosophy at University of California-San Diego

A philosophy degree from UC San Diego produces surprisingly weak early earnings—$24,669 puts graduates in the bottom quarter among California philosophy programs and well below the state median of $29,326. This is particularly striking because UCSD is a selective institution (25% admission rate) where peers at UC Berkeley and UCLA earn $36,000+ and $30,000+ respectively with the same degree. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly, but the gap is large enough to warrant attention.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $15,832, UCSD philosophy graduates carry exactly the state median burden and considerably less than the $22,641 national average. This keeps the debt-to-earnings ratio at 0.64, which is manageable even with constrained first-year income. Still, starting at under $25,000 means the financial runway will be tight immediately after graduation, regardless of manageable debt levels.

For families considering this path, recognize that philosophy is typically a foundation for graduate school or career pivots rather than immediate earnings. But UCSD's outcomes lag notably behind peer UC campuses, and the small cohort size raises questions about program support and placement networks. If your student is set on philosophy at a UC school, the data suggests looking at Berkeley, Davis, or even Santa Cruz for better early-career positioning.