Education, General: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 13.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,566 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 75 | 1,271 | $53,127 | $47,863 | $19,750 2 programs |
| Associate's degree | 200 | 1,931 | $28,911 | $41,787 | $11,000 19 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 438 | 7,330 | $44,614 | $49,808 | $23,238 90 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 26 | 0 | $57,165 | $58,785 | $20,126 1 programs |
| Master's degree | 501 | 13,017 | $60,851 | $65,824 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 135 | 2,569 | $84,643 | $87,373 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 13 | 32 | $57,614 | $72,062 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 178 | 1,327 | $66,667 | $69,448 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public · 77 graduates measured | $70,044 | $67,460 | $15,375 |
| Schoolcraft Community College District MI · Public · 24 graduates measured | $49,612 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of the District of Columbia DC · Public · 27 graduates measured | $43,642 | $51,137 | $11,188 |
| Community College of Rhode Island RI · Public · 38 graduates measured | $33,113 | $36,336 | Data unavailable |
| Southern Maine Community College ME · Public · 16 graduates measured | $32,513 | $40,357 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY LaGuardia Community College NY · Public · 44 graduates measured | $31,183 | Data unavailable | $3,500 |
| Liberty University VA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $29,281 | Data unavailable | $16,999 |
| Ivy Tech Community College IN · Public · 43 graduates measured | $26,058 | $40,815 | $9,850 |
| Middlesex College NJ · Public · 23 graduates measured | $25,149 | $48,532 | Data unavailable |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College MS · Public · 29 graduates measured | $23,017 | Data unavailable | $8,271 |
| Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland Campus NJ · Public · 23 graduates measured | $22,210 | $39,731 | $11,000 |
| Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus NJ · Public · 23 graduates measured | $22,210 | $39,731 | $11,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| City University of Seattle WA · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $66,411 | Data unavailable | $19,330 |
| Monmouth University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 47 graduates measured | $56,836 | $63,068 | $27,000 |
| Texas Tech University TX · Public · 228 graduates measured | $54,794 | Data unavailable | $17,453 |
| University of Hawaii-West Oahu HI · Public · 37 graduates measured | $54,546 | $54,648 | $12,278 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 298 graduates measured | $54,412 | Data unavailable | $19,930 |
| Central State University OH · Public · 17 graduates measured | $53,976 | Data unavailable | $11,466 |
| University of North Texas TX · Public · 209 graduates measured | $53,900 | Data unavailable | $20,500 |
| Texas Woman's University TX · Public · 186 graduates measured | $52,701 | Data unavailable | $22,191 |
| The University of Texas at Arlington TX · Public · 255 graduates measured | $52,046 | Data unavailable | $16,500 |
| Springfield College MA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $50,833 | $53,222 | $27,000 |
| University of Wisconsin-Platteville WI · Public · 18 graduates measured | $50,488 | $52,895 | Data unavailable |
| Flagler College FL · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $50,252 | $49,104 | Data unavailable |
| Southwestern University TX · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $49,628 | $52,035 | $19,000 |
| Western Oregon University OR · Public · 162 graduates measured | $49,487 | $46,042 | $20,500 |
| Midland University NE · Private, nonprofit · 60 graduates measured | $49,004 | $46,695 | $27,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Bakersfield CA · Public · 116 graduates measured | $85,537 | $92,010 | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts Global CA · Public · 174 graduates measured | $81,224 | $91,710 | Data unavailable |
| Southern Utah University UT · Public · 111 graduates measured | $80,798 | $83,304 | Data unavailable |
| San Francisco State University CA · Public · 88 graduates measured | $80,045 | $75,757 | Data unavailable |
| Cambridge College MA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $79,781 | $82,941 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Sacramento CA · Public · 52 graduates measured | $77,570 | $102,444 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 128 graduates measured | $77,174 | $87,086 | Data unavailable |
| University of Mount Saint Vincent NY · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $76,594 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Fresno CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $76,318 | $69,523 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Stanislaus CA · Public · 96 graduates measured | $76,205 | $84,580 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $75,832 | $84,551 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Bothell Campus WA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $75,832 | $84,551 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus WA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $75,832 | $84,551 | Data unavailable |
| University of San Diego CA · Private, nonprofit · 77 graduates measured | $75,107 | $91,474 | Data unavailable |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 504 graduates measured | $74,450 | $88,307 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $148,905 | $125,405 | Data unavailable |
| Azusa Pacific University CA · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $138,245 | $113,252 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-San Diego CA · Public · 24 graduates measured | $123,657 | $131,358 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $108,296 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Claremont Graduate University CA · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $106,455 | $118,397 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 57 graduates measured | $103,230 | $95,602 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 57 graduates measured | $103,230 | $95,602 | Data unavailable |
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public · 17 graduates measured | $102,582 | $118,149 | Data unavailable |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public · 55 graduates measured | $101,186 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus VA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $99,928 | $89,240 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $99,785 | $88,543 | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $96,011 | $105,869 | Data unavailable |
| Liberty University VA · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $90,299 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Lesley University MA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $89,532 | $107,723 | Data unavailable |
| University of Mississippi MS · Public · 37 graduates measured | $88,717 | $94,295 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University MA · Private, nonprofit · 52 graduates measured | $109,178 | $110,524 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA · Public · 117 graduates measured | $51,042 | $56,333 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goucher College MD · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $86,276 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Southern New Hampshire University NH · Private, nonprofit · 83 graduates measured | $81,503 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Mercer University GA · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $76,016 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Walden University MN · Private, for-profit · 153 graduates measured | $71,612 | $74,809 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Santa Barbara CA · Public · 52 graduates measured | $66,305 | $72,416 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Fresno CA · Public · 53 graduates measured | $64,278 | $64,183 | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Boulder CO · Public · 29 graduates measured | $63,577 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Northcentral University CA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $61,588 | $61,131 | Data unavailable |
| Iowa State University IA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $61,490 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater WI · Public · 29 graduates measured | $54,122 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus CO · Public · 59 graduates measured | $53,915 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Jackson State University MS · Public · 39 graduates measured | $53,179 | $51,856 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Education, General
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education teachers, postsecondary | $75,350 | +2.5% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 13.0101 Education, General