Behavioral Sciences: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 30.17. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 214 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 | 12 | 426 | $30,135 | $40,316 | $9,000 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 36 | 887 | $32,960 | $40,793 | $11,250 5 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 79 | 1,881 | $39,719 | $48,673 | $26,765 20 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 40 | 1,862 | $58,548 | $65,111 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 28 | 143 | $65,940 | $104,514 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 51 | $74,099 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 17 | 141 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | 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.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jacinto Community College TX · Public · 112 graduates measured | $34,498 | $43,440 | $7,500 |
| Loyola University Chicago IL · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $31,898 | $41,634 | Data unavailable |
| Vincennes University IN · Public · 17 graduates measured | $21,364 | $41,081 | $15,764 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay WI · Public · 35 graduates measured | $45,748 | $46,125 | Data unavailable |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ · Private, for-profit · 274 graduates measured | $45,736 | $48,657 | $51,237 |
| University of Phoenix-California · Private, for-profit · 274 graduates measured | $45,736 | $48,657 | $51,237 |
| Concordia University-Nebraska NE · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $43,965 | $48,215 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Arizona Global Campus AZ · Private, for-profit · 193 graduates measured | $43,390 | $45,157 | $43,923 |
| University of Kansas KS · Public · 46 graduates measured | $40,365 | $58,883 | $20,500 |
| Mercy University NY · Private, nonprofit · 121 graduates measured | $40,228 | Data unavailable | $26,625 |
| University of Iowa IA · Public · 143 graduates measured | $39,798 | Data unavailable | $20,750 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public · 344 graduates measured | $38,662 | Data unavailable | $12,000 |
| George Fox University OR · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $38,460 | $56,440 | $28,696 |
| University of Houston-Clear Lake TX · Public · 55 graduates measured | $38,067 | $51,151 | $16,832 |
| Saint Francis University PA · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $36,367 | $47,316 | $35,625 |
| University of West Georgia GA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $35,174 | Data unavailable | $28,000 |
| University of California-Santa Cruz CA · Public · 390 graduates measured | $34,890 | $54,606 | $13,000 |
| Life Pacific University CA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $34,850 | $47,612 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 46 graduates measured | $99,807 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $72,085 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Washington University in St Louis MO · Private, nonprofit · 75 graduates measured | $71,034 | $75,887 | Data unavailable |
| Rowan University NJ · Public · 29 graduates measured | $68,999 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 54 graduates measured | $68,642 | $72,822 | Data unavailable |
| Yale University CT · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $67,440 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Eastern Washington University WA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $64,700 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Teachers College at Columbia University NY · Private, nonprofit · 98 graduates measured | $58,964 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Kansas KS · Public · 18 graduates measured | $55,257 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Purdue University Global IN · Public · 804 graduates measured | $54,959 | $63,128 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public · 19 graduates measured | $70,077 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington University in St Louis MO · Private, nonprofit · 65 graduates measured | $74,291 | 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.
Careers linked to Behavioral Sciences
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and community service managers | $80,390 | +7.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Life scientists, all other | $93,750 | +6.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Psychologists, all other | $110,840 | +2.3% | Master's degree |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | $101,110 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Social science research assistants | $61,990 | +5.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Community and social service specialists, all other | $56,730 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Psychology teachers, postsecondary | $80,340 | +4.0% | 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)
- 30.1701 Behavioral Sciences