Curriculum and Instruction: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 13.03. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 830 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 | 8 | 23 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 21 | 38 | $42,218 | $50,452 | Data unavailable |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 16 | 0 | $67,977 | $90,056 | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 471 | 18,417 | $59,093 | $63,399 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 150 | 1,774 | $80,633 | $83,031 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 9 | 36 | $71,979 | $71,870 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 153 | 1,043 | $56,014 | $69,033 | 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.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Akron Main Campus OH · Public · 26 graduates measured | $41,101 | 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.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Long Beach CA · Public · 30 graduates measured | $66,676 | 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.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concordia University-Irvine CA · Private, nonprofit · 180 graduates measured | $88,578 | $100,038 | Data unavailable |
| Grand Canyon University AZ · Private, for-profit · 160 graduates measured | $82,759 | $58,811 | Data unavailable |
| Walden University MN · Private, for-profit · 47 graduates measured | $82,716 | $80,064 | Data unavailable |
| Berry College GA · Private, nonprofit · 56 graduates measured | $81,382 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Long Beach CA · Public · 26 graduates measured | $78,539 | $100,111 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-East Bay CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $78,178 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Sacramento CA · Public · 24 graduates measured | $77,481 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Alverno College WI · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $77,251 | $86,166 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-San Marcos CA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $75,598 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Fresno CA · Public · 64 graduates measured | $74,036 | $86,139 | Data unavailable |
| City University of Seattle WA · Private, nonprofit · 125 graduates measured | $73,754 | $80,194 | Data unavailable |
| Teachers College at Columbia University NY · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $73,602 | $86,945 | Data unavailable |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham AL · Public · 20 graduates measured | $72,602 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Northern Illinois University IL · Public · 23 graduates measured | $70,651 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 37 graduates measured | $69,990 | $66,003 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's University-New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 37 graduates measured | $130,968 | $153,334 | Data unavailable |
| University of Illinois Chicago IL · Public · 20 graduates measured | $98,758 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Chapman University CA · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $91,496 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Baylor University TX · Private, nonprofit · 105 graduates measured | $91,353 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Piedmont University GA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $88,303 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ · Private, for-profit · 44 graduates measured | $85,932 | $80,021 | Data unavailable |
| Wilkes University PA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $85,325 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Georgia Southern University GA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $84,156 | $91,534 | Data unavailable |
| University of Louisiana at Monroe LA · Public · 24 graduates measured | $83,769 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Memphis TN · Public · 18 graduates measured | $81,841 | $97,572 | Data unavailable |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia SC · Public · 89 graduates measured | $81,801 | $80,374 | Data unavailable |
| University of South Florida FL · Public · 74 graduates measured | $80,784 | $84,486 | Data unavailable |
| Capella University MN · Private, for-profit · 103 graduates measured | $80,642 | $91,034 | Data unavailable |
| Liberty University VA · Private, nonprofit · 294 graduates measured | $79,378 | $73,065 | Data unavailable |
| University of Denver CO · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $78,303 | 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.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont University GA · Private, nonprofit · 641 graduates measured | $72,046 | $73,718 | Data unavailable |
| Lincoln Memorial University TN · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $69,694 | $63,957 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morehead State University KY · Public · 30 graduates measured | $64,290 | $70,924 | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 27 graduates measured | $57,386 | $65,472 | Data unavailable |
| University of Denver CO · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $52,310 | $61,141 | 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 Curriculum and Instruction
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education teachers, postsecondary | $75,350 | +2.5% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Instructional coordinators | $77,440 | +1.6% | Master's 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)
- 13.0301 Curriculum and Instruction