Boston College and its Philosophy Department rank 19th among the nation's "Great Value Colleges" for philosophy degrees, according to a new survey conducted by Great Value Colleges, an online provider of information for students about colleges, careers, and resources.

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The ranking is based on master’s and doctoral degree opportunities for students, as well as research, internship, and scholarship opportunities. The survey methodology also considered awards and recognition related to philosophy, return on investment, affiliated centers and institutes on campus, and related student organizations and societies, among other factors. Data were drawn from the National Center for Education Statistics’ College Navigator database, Payscale.com, and school websites.

The entry on Boston College noted that its Philosophy Department offers degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, and that "students have opportunities for specialization through various concentrations including medieval philosophy, philosophy of science, and social and political philosophy. The school hosts a special joint M.A. in Philosophy and Theology for graduate students more interested in the religious aspects of philosophy.  Philosophy degree students are also able to gain hands-on experience through the department’s outreach and research projects.”

Rounding out the top 20 are Princeton University, Carnegie-Mellon University, University of California/San Diego, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, Brown University, Harvard University, Binghamton University, University of Minnesota/Twin Cities,  University of California/Berkeley, Columbia University, University of Notre Dame, University of Michigan/Ann Arbor, University of California/Davis, Yale University, Duke University, Vanderbilt University, and Cornell University.

—University Communications