Is Philosophy Practical?

As a philosophy major, one of the most dreadful questions is, “So what will you do with your degree?”

One of the main issues with studying philosophy is its practicality. If you are studying veterinary medicine, you will become a veterinarian. However, if you study philosophy, will you become a philosopher?

According to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, studying philosophy develops skills that are useful in any chosen career. Philosophy majors outperform all other majors on the Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing sections of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). On average, philosophy majors score 160, followed by English majors at 157.

A field that philosophy gives students a leg up in is law. Many students pursuing a Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD), have a background in philosophy. For the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), philosophy majors also surpass most majors.

Philosophy majors on average score 157, tied with economics majors. Additionally, the acceptance rate for philosophy at law school is higher than the acceptance rate for other pre-law majors.

If higher education is not in your future plans, a bachelors in philosophy will give you the much needed competitive edge in the job market. A study by Wall Street Journal found that the average, mid-career salary for philosophy majors is $81,200, which is the highest for all humanities and social science majors.

While philosophy enthusiasts would love to add more people to their niche club, philosophy can always be added on to an existing major as a double-major or a minor, This unique yet extremely useful field of study will give you the competitive edge to stand out in the cutthroat job market.