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Philosophy at Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree
30 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)
31
Optimistic
30
Base Case
22
Pessimistic
Earnings $42,334/yr (31% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (64% exposed)
Job Market Medium (15,000 openings/yr)
ROI 1.9x earnings multiple
Ranked #38 of 77 Philosophy programs Top 50%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Philosophy graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $489K $490K $459K
Earnings Multiple 1.9x 1.9x 1.8x
Probability of Field Employment 51% 44% 29%
DegreeOutlook Score 31 30 22

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)
$257,840
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$167,112
35% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$20,500
5.8 months of Year 1 earnings

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $42,334 put Southern Methodist University's Philosophy program 31% above the national median of $32,297 — one of the higher-earning programs in this field.

An earnings multiple of 1.9x means the program roughly breaks even in financial terms over ten years. Non-financial factors need to justify the investment.

AI risk is moderate — 64% task exposure — and the 6% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $42,334 far exceeding the $20,500 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

Ranked #38 out of 77 programs, Southern Methodist University's Philosophy offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

About Southern Methodist University

A 61% admission rate makes Southern Methodist University accessible to a wide range of qualified students, with a mid-sized student body of 7,106 in Dallas, TX. The average net cost of $167,112 over four years represents a 35% discount from published tuition.

See all programs and financial aid at Southern Methodist University →

Top Career Paths

Natural sciences managers $161,180/yr
Mathematicians $121,680/yr
Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary $79,350/yr
View all 4 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 77 schools offering Philosophy →

Philosophy at Other Schools

University of Pennsylvania ($73,053) Columbia University in the City of New York ($52,668) Boston College ($47,345) Utah Valley University ($43,699) CUNY Lehman College ($43,311) University of Washington-Seattle Campus ($42,072) University of Washington-Bothell Campus ($42,072) Tulane University of Louisiana ($41,032)

Other Majors at Southern Methodist University

Computer Science ($93,679) Finance and Financial Management Services ($83,159) Mechanical Engineering ($79,280) Statistics ($76,759) Mathematics ($74,516) Operations Research ($72,658) Economics ($71,630) Accounting and Related Services ($68,643)

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Southern Methodist University's Philosophy program score?
This program scores 30/100 — on the lower end for Philosophy. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.
How vulnerable is Philosophy to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Philosophy careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 64% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →