Philosophy at University of North Texas

A philosophy degree from UNT beats expectations for the discipline, but the small graduating cohort—fewer than 30 students—means you're looking at a niche program where individual outcomes vary widely. That said, the numbers suggest solid positioning: graduates earn $37,231 in their first year, outpacing the national philosophy median by nearly $6,000 and ranking in the 71st percentile nationally. Among Texas philosophy programs, UNT lands in the 60th percentile, trailing UT Austin and SMU but ahead of most state competitors.

The debt picture looks reasonable at $17,750, translating to a 0.48 debt-to-earnings ratio that's manageable for a humanities degree. This falls well below both the national and state median debt for philosophy majors. For context, philosophy graduates nationally often carry $22,641 in debt, so UNT students are starting their careers with meaningfully less financial burden.

The caveat matters here: with such a small program, these numbers could shift dramatically year to year based on just a handful of graduates' career choices. One student going to law school versus another working retail immediately out of college swings the median significantly. If your child is considering this path, the real value lies in UNT's broader humanities infrastructure and whether they have specific post-graduation plans where philosophy serves as preparation—not in betting these exact earnings will hold steady.