How much debt do USC philosophy graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $11,491, which ranks the lowest of 13 philosophy bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $122 a month over 10 years.

Is a philosophy degree from USC worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 30% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 67%.

USC Philosophy (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do USC philosophy graduates stay in California?

Most do. 71% (24 of 34) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Philosophy
Private nonprofit university
Los Angeles, CA
About 77 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

USC philosophy graduates earn more than graduates of most philosophy programs nationally, $38,380 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $11,491 in federal loans, less than at 98% of philosophy programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying philosophy degrees in California.

First-year earnings$38,38078th percentile of 74 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$95,023148% more than year one

Median federal debt$11,491The lowest of 13 California programs

Debt-to-earnings30%California median 59%, national 67%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The California and national columns are the medians across all philosophy bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	USC	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$38,380	$29,326	$30,894
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$95,023	$55,124	$54,937
Median federal debt at graduation	$11,491	$15,832	$22,584
Debt as share of first-year pay	30%	59%	67%
Programs compared		15	74

Five years out, USC graduates earn more than the national figure and about $39,899 more than the California median.

Debt and first-year pay at every California philosophy program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the California medians.

USCOther California programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 148% between the first and fifth year.

USC grads, year 1$38,380

USC grads, year 5$95,023

All California philosophy grads, year 5$55,124

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $122 a month, or 3.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

19 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $35,198.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

71% of graduates (24 of 34) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Los Angeles area are about 14% above the national average, so a $38,380 salary here buys what about $33,795 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to philosophy, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Natural Sciences Managers

$210,230

Median pay in California. 14,950 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $130,730Top 10%: $330,050

Mathematicians

$126,710

Median pay in California. 250 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 100 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

Bottom 10%: $81,230Top 10%: $182,020

About USC

Tuition and fees	$72,097 / year
Average net price after aid	$32,740 / year
Admission rate	10%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	92%
Undergraduate students	20,443

Philosophy ranks 26th of 43 bachelor's programs at USC by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($137,284), Software and Media Applications ($103,071), and Real Estate ($98,763).

Other philosophy bachelor's programs near Los Angeles

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit		$38,380	$11,491
UCLALos Angeles, CA · public	10 mi	$30,182	$15,000
UC IrvineIrvine, CA · public	36 mi	$20,922	$23,705
UC RiversideRiverside, CA · public	55 mi	$25,171	$19,022

Common questions

The median graduate earns $38,380 one year after graduating and $95,023 five years after. The median across philosophy bachelor's programs in California is $29,326.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of California comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the philosophy program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Philosophy bachelor's programs in California, ranked15 programs by pay and debt Philosophy bachelor's programs in the US, ranked74 programs by pay and debt All USC programs, ranked43 programs by pay and debt