Philosophical Gourmet Report 2002-2004
Brian Leiter's Ranking of Graduate Programs in Philosophy in the English-Speaking World
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Breakdown of Programs by Specialties

The specialty rankings were compiled in close consultation with members of the Advisory Board of the Report and, where necessary, other experts in the various fields [3]. Some Advisory Board members have elected to add written advice to prospective students about choosing programs in their areas of interest; that written advice follows the specialty rankings.

The primary purpose of the specialty rankings is to identify programs in particular fields that a student should investigate for himself or herself. While in general it makes sense to choose an Excellent program over an Also Notable program, much may depend on the particular needs and interests of the student. (As between “Excellent” and “Good” programs, and between “Good” and “Also Notable” programs, bear in mind that some judgments about relative quality may be more contentious.) Even within a grouping like “Excellent” or “Good” there may be meaningful qualitative differences between programs, but these are better sorted out by the individual student in consultation with advisors who know him or her best. (In a very few cases, an “Excellent” program is marked with an [*] indicating they are the consensus leader in the field.) Many programs not listed offer solid coverage of areas listed below; the specialty lists are meant to reflect those programs that are, comparatively, the best choices for students looking to focus their doctoral studies in these fields.

Strength is assessed in terms of quality of (generally tenured) faculty working in that area. (Students are at a disadvantage when their primary supervisor is not tenured.) Programs with only one resource person in a particular specialty, who is over the age of 70, are not listed. Keep in mind, too, that you can’t really compare ratings across specialties, or assume that a department “Excellent” in area A, but “only” “good” in area B is better in A than B. The placement of programs is, necessarily, relative to the number of strong programs in the fields: some fields have many Excellent programs, some have very few.

The rankings here are meant to reflect the quality, reputation, and influence of the work done by faculty at these various departments. Departments with many good faculty in an area tend to be ranked higher: such departments offer students more potential advisors and cushion against the loss of a faculty member. The lines between the specialty categories are not always hard-and-fast. What one philosopher might call an issue in philosophy of language, another might call an issue in philosophical logic or philosophy of mind. Students might look at the useful Blackwell Companions to Philosophy, or the equally valuable (albeit less detailed) Oxford volumes (ed. Grayling) on Philosophy: A Guide Through the Subject, to get some sense of how the fields are customarily demarcated.
 
 
Summary of Faculty Moves and Hirings for 2003-04
 
Philosophy of Language and Linguistics
(incl. definite and indefinite descriptions, singular terms, anaphora, quantification, pragmatics, indexicality, speech acts, tense, formal semantics, propositional attitude ascriptions, etc.)
Excellent Also Notable
Rutgers University, New Brunswick City University of New York Graduate Center
University of California, Los Angeles King’s College, London
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
 Syracuse University
Good Tulane University
Cornell University University of Alberta
Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Arizona
New York University University of California, Berkeley
Oxford University University of Maryland, College Park
Princeton University University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Stanford University University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of California, Davis University of Pittsburgh
University of California, Santa Barbara University of Rochester
University of Texas, Austin
University of Southern California
  Yale University

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophy of Mind and Language
(incl. theories of content, theories of meaning, metaphysics of meaning)
Excellent Also Notable
New York University Cambridge University
Rutgers University, New Brunswick Harvard University
Good Northwestern University
Australian National University University of Arizona
City University of New York Graduate Center University of California, Berkeley
King’s College, London University of Connecticut, Storrs
Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Oxford University University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Princeton University University of Texas, Austin
Stanford University  
University of California, Davis
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Pittsburgh
University of St. Andrews

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science
(incl. computational models of mind, functionalism, consciousness, qualia, mental causation, mind-body identity, concepts, connectionism, perception, artificial intelligence, etc.)
Excellent Also Notable
Australian National University Duke University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Indiana University, Bloomington
New York University Syracuse University
*Rutgers University, New Brunswick University of California, Berkeley
University of Arizona University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, San Diego
University of Canterbury, Christ Church
Good University of Cincinatti
Brown University University of Miami
City University of New York Graduate Center University of Nottingham
King’s College, London University of Sussex
Ohio State University University of Toronto
Oxford University Note: This area is one where assessments are likely to vary quite a bit between the two sides of the Atlantic (roughly speaking, reductionist views are held in less esteem in the UK). From a US perspective, it may be reasonable to put Oxford and UCL as Good rather than Excellent, because the areas in which they are world leaders (e.g., disjunctivism, direct realism, neo-Kantian philosophy of mind) are not very influential in the US, but from a UK perspective they look competitive with, e.g., ANU and MIT.
Princeton University
University College London
University of California, Davis
University of Connecticut, Storrs
University of Maryland, College Park
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Texas, Austin

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Ethics
(incl. theories of the good, the right, well-being, virtue, moral psychology, etc.)
Excellent Also Notable
Harvard University Brown University
New York University Cambridge University
Oxford University Cornell University
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Duke University
Good Georgetown University
Australian National University Indiana University, Bloomington
Princeton University Monash University
Rice University Ohio State University
Rutgers University, New Brunswick Syracuse University
University of Auckland University of Arizona
University of California, Berkeley University of Chicago
University of California, Los Angeles University of Edinburgh
University of California, San Diego University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill University of Maryland, College Park
University of Toronto University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Yale University University of Miami
  University of Pittsburgh
University of Reading
University of St. Andrews

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Metaethics
(realism/anti-realism, cognitivism/non-cognitivism)
Excellent Also Notable
Australian National University Duke University
Cornell University Florida State University
Princeton University Harvard University
*University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Tulane University
Good University of California, Davis
Bowling Green State University University of Memphis
Brown University University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Cambridge University University of Notre Dame
Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Texas, Austin
New York University University of Wisconsin, Madison
Ohio State University Yale University
Oxford University  
University of California, San Diego
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Pittsburgh
University of Reading

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Political Philosophy
Excellent Also Notable
Columbia University Arizona State University
New York University Australian National University
Oxford University
Boston University
Good Brown University
Bowling Green State University City University of New York Graduate Center
Cambridge University Duke University
Harvard University Queen’s University (Canada)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Rice University
Princeton University Stanford University
Tulane University University of California, Berkeley
University College London University of California, Davis
University of Arizona University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, San Diego University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Chicago University of Manchester
University of Pennsylvania University of Maryland, College Park
University of Toronto University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Virginia
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  University of Southern California
University of Wisconsin, Madison
York University, Toronto

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Applied Moral, Political and Social Philosophy
(including medical ethics)
Excellent Also Notable
Bowling Green State University Loyola University, Chicago
Duke University Stanford University
New York University State University of New York, Albany
Princeton University Syracuse University
Rice University University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
 University of Pennsylvania
Good University of Utah
Georgetown University University of Virginia
Oxford University  
Rutgers University, New Brunswick
University of Auckland
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Maryland, College Park
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophy of Law
Excellent Also Notable
Columbia University Arizona State University
*Oxford University
Boston University
Good Cambridge University
New York University Georgetown University
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill McMaster University
University of Pennsylvania Rutgers University, New Brunswick
University of Texas, Austin University of California, Davis
University of Toronto University of California, Los Angeles
Yale University University of California, San Diego
York University, Toronto University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
  University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul
University of Stirling
Washington University, St. Louis

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophy of Science
(realism, explanation, confirmation, etc.)
Excellent Also Notable
Columbia University Birkbeck College, University of London
London School of Economics City University of New York Graduate Center
Princeton University King’s College, London
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Oxford University
University of Pittsburgh
(History and Philosophy of Science)		 Rutgers University, New Brunswick
University of Washington, Seattle University of British Columbia
Good University of California, San Diego
Cambridge University
(Department of History and Philosophy of Science)		 University of Edinburgh
Carnegie-Mellon University University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Cornell University University of Leeds
Stanford University University of Notre Dame
University of California, Irvine  
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul
University of Toronto
University of Western Ontario
University of Wisconsin, Madison

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophy of Physics
Excellent Also Notable
Oxford University New York University
Rutgers University, New Brunswick Stanford University
University of California, Irvine University of Arizona
University of Pittsburgh
(History and Philosophy of Science) 		University of California, Davis
University of Washington, Seattle University of California, San Diego
Good University of Leeds
Columbia University University of Notre Dame
Indiana University, Bloomington
(History and Philosophy of Science)		 University of South Carolina
London School of Economics University of Sydney
Princeton University University of Texas, Austin
University of Illinois, Chicago University of Western Ontario
University of Maryland, College Park  
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophy of Biology
Excellent Also Notable
Australian National University Florida State University
Columbia University Harvard University
Duke University University of British Columbia
University of Chicago University of Calgary
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of California, Davis
Good University of Cincinnati
Indiana University, Bloomington University of Edinburgh
University of Exeter Centre for the Philosophy of the Social Sciences University of Leeds
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul University of Maryland, College Park
University of Pittsburgh
(History and Philosophy of Science)		  
University of Texas, Austin
Victoria University, Wellington

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophy of Social Science
Excellent Also Notable
Columbia University Northwestern University
Cornell University University of British Columbia
Duke University University of Kentucky
Princeton University University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Connecticut, Storrs University of Warwick
University of Exeter Centre for the Philosophy of the Social Sciences York University, Toronto
University of Wisconsin, Madison
  
Good
London School of Economics
Oxford University
University of California, Irvine

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Formal Logic
(incl. mathematical logic, modal and tense logics, logics of conditionals and entailment, formal theories of truth, etc.)
Excellent Also Notable
Carnegie Mellon University Indiana University, Bloomington
Massachusetts Institute of Technology King's College, London
New York University McGill University
Oxford University Monash University
Princeton University State University of New York, Buffalo
Stanford University University of Adelaide
University of California, Berkeley
(Program in Logic & Methodology of Science)		 University of Arizona
University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Irvine
University of Pittsburgh University of Notre Dame
Good University of Toronto
City University of New York Graduate Center University of Western Ontario
Columbia University Note: much of the work in this area goes on in Mathematics and Computer Science departments. Students primarily interested in Formal Logic would do well to also explore those programs.
Harvard University
Ohio State University
University of Amsterdam
(Institute for Logic, Language & Computation)
University of Melbourne
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Texas, Austin

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophical Logic and Philosophy of Logic and Language
(incl. such topics as identity, truth, vagueness, reference, negation, logical form, paradoxes, etc.)
Excellent Also Notable
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Australian National University
New York University Birkbeck College, University of London
Oxford University Cambridge University
University of California, Los Angeles City University of New York Graduate Center
University of Pittsburgh Cornell University
University of Texas, Austin Harvard University
Good Ohio State University
Columbia University Tulane University
Monash University University of Auckland
Princeton University University of Birmingham
Stanford University University of California, San Diego
University of California, Santa Barbara University of Durham
University of Melbourne University of Florida, Gainesville
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor University of Maryland, College Park
University of St. Andrews University of Miami
  University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
University of Notre Dame
University of Queensland

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophy of Mathematics
Excellent Also Notable
Harvard University Cambridge University
New York University Columbia University
Ohio State University University College London
Oxford University University of Arizona
Princeton University University of Queensland
Stanford University University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of California, Irvine University of Western Ontario
University of Glasgow  
University of St. Andrews
Good
Carnegie-Mellon University
McGill University
University of California, Berkeley
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame
University of Pittsburgh

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Metaphysics
(including events, causation, ontology, essentialism, necessity, properties, supervenience, identity (incl. personal identity), time, realism/anti-realism, etc.)
Excellent Also Notable
Australian National University Macquarie University
Brown University Monash University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Purdue University
New York University Stanford University
Oxford University Syracuse University
Princeton University Tulane University
Rutgers University, New Brunswick University of Birmingham
University of Notre Dame University College London
Good University of California, Davis
Cambridge University University of California, Santa Barbara
City University of New York Graduate Center University of Durham
University of Arizona University of Edinburgh
University of California, Los Angeles University of Glasgow
University of Colorado, Boulder University of Melbourne
University of Leeds University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Pittsburgh
University of St. Andrews University of Queensland
University of Texas, Austin University of Sydney
Yale University University of Virginia
  University of Wisconsin, Madison

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Epistemology
(incl. foundationalism, coherentism, reliabilism, a priori knowledge, self-knowledge, testimony, skepticism, naturalized epistemology, social epistemology, etc.)
Excellent Also Notable
New York University Arizona State University
Oxford University Columbia University
*Rutgers University, New Brunswick Indiana University, Bloomington
Good Johns Hopkins University
Brown University Loyola University, Chicago
Princeton University Ohio State University
University of Arizona University of California, Berkeley
University of Notre Dame University of California, Los Angeles
University of Rochester University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Washington, Seattle University of Colorado, Boulder
Yale University University of Iowa
  University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Melbourne
University of Miami
University of Missouri, Columbia
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Oklahoma, Norman
University of Pittsburgh
University of Reading
University of Sheffield
University of St. Andrews

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophy of Art/Aesthetics
Excellent Also Notable
University of Wisconsin, Madison Harvard University
Rutgers University, New Brunswick Ohio State University
University of Cincinnati Princeton University
University of Maryland, College Park State University of New York, Buffalo
*University of Michigan, Ann Arbor University of California, Davis
University of Western Ontario University of St. Andrews
Good University of Texas, Austin
King's College, London  
Oxford University  
Stanford University
Temple University
University of Auckland
University of British Columbia
University of Chicago
University of Nottingham
University of Pennsylvania
University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University of York

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophy of Action
(incl. free will & determinism, agency & action, intention, etc.)
Excellent Also Notable
Stanford University Birkbeck College, University of London
University of California, Riverside Florida State University
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
 Harvard University
Good Indiana University, Bloomington
Princeton University King's College, London
Rutgers University, New Brunswick New York University
University of California, Berkeley Saint Louis University
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill University of Auckland
University of Notre Dame University of California, Davis
University of Reading University of Georgia
University of Southern California University of Nebraska, Lincoln
University of Texas, Austin University of Pittsburgh

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Philosophy of Religion
Excellent Also Notable
University of Notre Dame Fordham University
Yale University
Indiana University, Bloomington
Good Monash University
Claremont Graduate School Purdue University
Cornell University University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Oxford University University of Iowa
Rutgers University, New Brunswick University of Leeds
St. Louis University University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of California, Riverside University of Missouri, Columbia
University of Colorado, Boulder University of New England
University of Nebraska, Lincoln University of Rochester
University of Oklahoma, Norman University of Texas, Austin
University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Virginia

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Decision Theory/Rational Choice Theory/Game Theory
Excellent Also Notable
Carnegie-Mellon University Florida State University
London School of Economics Indiana University, Bloomington
University of California, Irvine University of Arizona
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor University of Missouri, Columbia
Good University of Texas, Austin
Columbia University  
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Oxford University
Princeton University
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of Pittsburgh
University of Western Ontario
University of Wisconsin, Madison

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Ancient Philosophy
Excellent Also Notable
Cornell University Brown University
Oxford University Emory University
Princeton University King's College, London
University of Texas, Austin
McGill University
Good Northwestern University
Cambridge University (Department of Classics) Rutgers University, New Brunswick
Harvard University Stanford University
Joint Program: Northwestern University/University of Chicago/University of Illinois, Chicago University of California, Davis
University of Arizona University of California, Irvine
University of California, Berkeley University of Chicago
University of Pittsburgh University of Colorado, Boulder
University of St. Andrews University of Illinois, Chicago
University of Toronto University of Pennsylvania
  University of Washington, Seattle
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Yale University

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Medieval Philosophy
Excellent Also Notable
Cornell University Fordham University
Oxford University Ohio State University
Saint Louis University State University of New York, Buffalo
University of California, Los Angeles University of Alberta
University of Notre Dame University of Glasgow
University of Toronto  
Yale University
Good
Catholic University
Indiana University, Bloomington
King’s College, London
University of California, Irvine
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Iowa
University of St. Andrews

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Early Modern Philosophy: 17th Century
(incl. Bacon, Descartes, Hobbes, Leibniz, Locke, Malebranche, Spinoza)
Excellent Also Notable
Columbia University Birkbeck College, University of London
Princeton University Duke University
University of California, Irvine Harvard University
University of California, Los Angeles Keele University
*University of Michigan, Ann Arbor McGill University
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Purdue University
University of Southern California Rice University
Yale University University of British Columbia
Good University of California, Riverside
Rutgers University, New Brunswick University of California, San Diego
University of California, Berkeley University of Durham
University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Illinois, Chicago
University of Pennsylvania University of Missouri, Columbia
University of Pittsburgh University of Sydney
University of Reading University of Texas, Austin
University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Toronto
  University of Western Ontario

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Early Modern Philosophy: 18th Century
(incl. Berkeley, Hume, Hutcheson, Reid, Smith)
Excellent Also Notable
University of California, Berkeley Birkbeck College, University of London
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Emory University
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Georgetown University
University of Reading Ohio State University
Good University of California, Irvine
Boston University University of Kansas
Brown University University of Western Ontario
Cambridge University Yale University
University of Arizona  
University of Illinois, Chicago
University of Toronto

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Kant
Excellent Also Notable
Oxford University Brown University
*Stanford University Columbia University
University of Pennsylvania McGill University
Good State University of New York, Albany
Boston University University College London
Harvard University University of California, Berkeley
Johns Hopkins University University of California, San Diego
Princeton University University of Chicago
Syracuse University University of Edinburgh
University of California, Riverside University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame University of Pittsburgh
  University of Sheffield
University of Western Ontario

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Post-Kantian Idealism
(incl. Fichte, Schelling, Hegel)
Excellent Also Notable
Columbia University Johns Hopkins University
Oxford University University College London
Stanford University University of California, Riverside
Syracuse University University of East Anglia
*University of Chicago University of Illinois, Chicago
University of Notre Dame University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Good University of Kentucky
Boston University University of Pittsburgh
Cambridge University University of Texas, Austin
Northwestern University University of Warwick
Princeton University  
University of California, San Diego
University of Sheffield

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
19th Century German Philosophy After Idealism
(incl. Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud)
Excellent Also Notable
Birkbeck College, University of London New York University
*Oxford University Princeton University
Stanford University University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Chicago University of Kentucky
University of Texas, Austin University of Warwick
Good  
Cambridge University
Columbia University
University College London
University of Auckland
University of California, Riverside
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of Wisconsin, Madison

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
20th Century Continental Philosophy
(incl. phenomenology, existentialism, critical theory, hermeneutics, Foucault)
Excellent Also Notable
Oxford University Boston University
University of California, Riverside Emory University
University of Chicago Georgetown University
Good Loyola University, Chicago
Cambridge University New School University
Northwestern University New York University (esp. Heidegger)
University College Dublin Pennsylvania State University
University of Notre Dame Rice University
  Stanford University
State University of New York, Stony Brook
University of Auckland
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Irvine (esp. phenomenology)
University of California, San Diego
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Durham
University of Essex
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of South Florida
University of Texas, Austin
University of Toronto
Washington University, St. Louis
Yale University

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
History of Analytical Philosophy
Excellent Also Notable
Harvard University Arizona State University
Stanford University Boston University
University of Chicago Princeton University
University of Illinois, Chicago Trinity College Dublin
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor University of British Columbia
University of Pennsylvania University of Colorado, Boulder
Good University of Iowa
Indiana University, Bloomington University of Sheffield
Oxford University Washington University, St. Louis
University of California, Berkeley  
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Pittsburgh
University of Texas, Austin
University of York

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
American Pragmatism (Peirce, James, Dewey)
Excellent Also Notable
Pennsylvania State University` New School University
University of Chicago State University of New York, Buffalo
University of Miami Texas A&M University
University of Sheffield  
University of Toronto
Good
Georgetown University
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
University of Hawaii, Manoa
University of New Mexico
University of Pittsburgh

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Wittgenstein
Excellent Also Notable
Oxford University Cambridge University
University of California, Berkeley City University of New York Graduate Center
University of Chicago Northwestern University
University of Pittsburgh Rutgers University, New Brunswick
Good University of Iowa
Harvard University University of Maryland, College Park
Johns Hopkins University University of Reading
New York University University of York
University of Pennsylvania  
University of St. Andrews

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Chinese Philosophy
Excellent Note: P.J. Ivanhoe, one of the major scholars in the field, has recently resigned from Michigan, and has not yet established a new, permanent academic home. Students interested in Chinese philosophy should be alert to the department that ends up hiring him.
University of California, Berkeley
University of Hong Kong
Good
Duke University
University of Connecticut, Storrs
University of Hawaii, Manoa

[ specialty menu ] [ top ]
Indian Philosophy
Excellent  
University of Hawaii, Manoa
University of Liverpool
University of Texas, Austin
Good
University of New Mexico
 

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