Philosophy at University of California-Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz's philosophy program manages to outperform 60% of California philosophy programs despite posting below-average first-year earnings. The key is strong momentum: graduates see their income jump 30% by year four, reaching $39,427—pulling ahead of UCLA and Cal State Fullerton grads who started with similar salaries. In California's competitive philosophy landscape, this growth trajectory matters more than the modest starting point.

The debt picture is notably favorable. At $15,832, it's 30% below the national median for philosophy programs and matches California's state median exactly. This manageable debt load, combined with the 0.52 debt-to-earnings ratio, means graduates can handle payments even during that challenging first year. Philosophy majors rarely chase high starting salaries, but they need programs that won't saddle them with crushing debt—UC Santa Cruz delivers here.

For families willing to accept a humanities degree's financial reality, this program offers a clearer path than most. You're not getting Berkeley's brand or USC's earning power, but you're also avoiding the debt traps that plague many philosophy programs (the national median is $22,641). If your student is committed to philosophy, the combination of reasonable debt and improving earnings makes this a defensible choice within California's public university system.