Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics maps to BLS occupations averaging about $145,141, with roughly 81,400 workers nationwide in those roles. About 539 degrees completed in recent IPEDS counts; median program completion runs near 59%.
Key Statistics
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics: what the data shows
Common questions about philosophy, politics, and economics degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a philosophy, politics, and economics degree?
A Philosophy, Politics, and Economics program is classified under NCES CIP 00.3051 in the 00.0030 field family (00.30).
IPEDS counted 539 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of philosophy, politics, and economics degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.30 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Accounting and Computer Science (CIP 00.3016)
- Anthrozoology (CIP 00.3034)
- Behavioral Sciences (CIP 00.3017)
- Biological and Physical Sciences (CIP 00.3001)
- Biopsychology (CIP 00.3010)
- Classical and Ancient Studies (CIP 00.3022)
- Climate Science (CIP 00.3035)
- Cognitive Science (CIP 00.3025)
- Computational Science (CIP 00.3030)
- Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature (CIP 00.3036)
- Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis (CIP 00.3026)
- Digital Humanities and Textual Studies (CIP 00.3052)
- Dispute Resolution (CIP 00.3028)
- Earth Systems Science (CIP 00.3038)
- Economics and Computer Science (CIP 00.3039)
- Environmental Geosciences (CIP 00.3041)
- Geobiology (CIP 00.3043)
- Geography and Environmental Studies (CIP 00.3044)
- Gerontology (CIP 00.3011)
- Historic Preservation and Conservation (CIP 00.3012)
- History and Language/Literature (CIP 00.3045)
- History and Political Science (CIP 00.3046)
- Holocaust and Related Studies (CIP 00.3021)
- Human Biology (CIP 00.3027)
- Human Computer Interaction (CIP 00.3031)
- Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies (CIP 00.3023)
- International/Global Studies (CIP 00.3020)
- Linguistics and Anthropology (CIP 00.3047)
- Linguistics and Computer Science (CIP 00.3048)
- Marine Sciences (CIP 00.3032)
- Maritime Studies (CIP 00.3029)
- Mathematical Economics (CIP 00.3049)
- Mathematics and Computer Science (CIP 00.3008)
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies (CIP 00.3013)
- Museology/Museum Studies (CIP 00.3014)
- Natural Sciences (CIP 00.3018)
- Nutrition Sciences (CIP 00.3019)
- Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (CIP 00.3005)
- Science, Technology and Society (CIP 00.3015)
- Sustainability Studies (CIP 00.3033)
- Systems Science and Theory (CIP 00.3006)
How long does it take to get a philosophy, politics, and economics degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.3051 in our file:
- 40 Bachelor's (17.4% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 190 Master's (82.6% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in philosophy, politics, and economics?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Mathematics, Writing, Judgment and Decision Making, Speaking, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Economists (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a philosophy, politics, and economics degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Philosophy, Politics, and Economics to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Economists | 15,880 | $115,440 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | 270,480 | $102,140 |
| Financial Analysts | 340,580 | $101,350 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | 12,420 | $119,980 |
| Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary | 20,840 | $78,050 |
| Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers | 25,700 | $49,800 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a philosophy, politics, and economics degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $13,854 and median net price is $20,694.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$13,854 Median In-State Public
$41,825 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics majors are, on average, $13,854 for in-state public colleges, and $41,825 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
539 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Arizona | AZ | 40,769 |
| 2 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | 33,488 |
| 3 | University at Buffalo | NY | 20,284 |
| 4 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | 12,255 |
| 5 | Calvin University | MI | 2,921 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Philosophy, Politics, and Economics programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary | NC | $10,646 |
| 2 | University at Buffalo | NY | $10,782 |
| 3 | University of Arizona | AZ | $13,626 |
| 4 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | $14,081 |
| 5 | Criswell College | TX | $14,310 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary | NC | $6,608 |
| 2 | Criswell College | TX | $12,929 |
| 3 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | $14,832 |
| 4 | University of Arizona | AZ | $15,960 |
| 5 | Swarthmore College | PA | $18,686 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics programs.
Graduation Rates
59.36% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
57.43% Average Graduation Rate
144 Institutions Reporting
43.88% - 71.16% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.30 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Accounting and Computer Science CIP 00.3016
- Anthrozoology CIP 00.3034
- Behavioral Sciences CIP 00.3017
- Biological and Physical Sciences CIP 00.3001
- Biopsychology CIP 00.3010
- Classical and Ancient Studies CIP 00.3022
- Climate Science CIP 00.3035
- Cognitive Science CIP 00.3025
- Computational Science CIP 00.3030
- Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature CIP 00.3036
- Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis CIP 00.3026
- Digital Humanities and Textual Studies CIP 00.3052
- Dispute Resolution CIP 00.3028
- Earth Systems Science CIP 00.3038
- Economics and Computer Science CIP 00.3039
- Environmental Geosciences CIP 00.3041
- Geobiology CIP 00.3043
- Geography and Environmental Studies CIP 00.3044
- Gerontology CIP 00.3011
- Historic Preservation and Conservation CIP 00.3012
- History and Language/Literature CIP 00.3045
- History and Political Science CIP 00.3046
- Holocaust and Related Studies CIP 00.3021
- Human Biology CIP 00.3027
- Human Computer Interaction CIP 00.3031
- Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies CIP 00.3023
- International/Global Studies CIP 00.3020
- Linguistics and Anthropology CIP 00.3047
- Linguistics and Computer Science CIP 00.3048
- Marine Sciences CIP 00.3032
- Maritime Studies CIP 00.3029
- Mathematical Economics CIP 00.3049
- Mathematics and Computer Science CIP 00.3008
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies CIP 00.3013
- Museology/Museum Studies CIP 00.3014
- Natural Sciences CIP 00.3018
- Nutrition Sciences CIP 00.3019
- Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution CIP 00.3005
- Science, Technology and Society CIP 00.3015
- Sustainability Studies CIP 00.3033
- Systems Science and Theory CIP 00.3006
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.3051 in the survey year used in our extract (230 total across levels below).
- 40 Bachelor's (17.4% of IPEDS total)
- 190 Master's (82.6% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $145,141. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Economists | $128,983 | 15,880 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | $173,641 | 270,480 |
| Financial Analysts | $131,249 | 340,580 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $155,412 | 12,420 |
| Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary | $119,851 | 20,840 |
| Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers | $54,815 | 25,700 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$146,528 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics majors is $146,528.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics majors.
Occupations by Share
81,400 2023 Workforce
The number of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
Age distribution for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics majors.
About
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
In 2023, 539 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
CIP Code
00.3051 - Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $145,141. The largest mapped role by headcount is Economists (15,880 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $13,854 in-state at public colleges and $41,825 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.