International/Globalization Studies: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 30.20. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 590 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 | 70 | 233 | $45,332 | $63,099 | $19,500 3 programs |
| Associate's degree | 25 | 28 | Data unavailable | $38,348 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 370 | 4,548 | $42,221 | $59,972 | $18,578 55 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 81 | 827 | $65,141 | $86,219 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 10 | 14 | $65,093 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 2 | 0 | $67,372 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 31 | 90 | Data unavailable | $91,589 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 45 graduates measured | $46,525 | $71,419 | $19,500 |
| DePaul University IL · Private, nonprofit · 52 graduates measured | $36,009 | Data unavailable | $24,500 |
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 Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $117,266 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bentley University MA · Private, nonprofit · 59 graduates measured | $77,129 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 26 graduates measured | $72,734 | $66,995 | Data unavailable |
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $70,939 | Data unavailable | $20,350 |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 50 graduates measured | $59,708 | $86,599 | $9,750 |
| College of the Holy Cross MA · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $59,021 | $71,280 | $25,500 |
| Washington University in St Louis MO · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $56,070 | $66,498 | $15,000 |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 91 graduates measured | $55,375 | $66,522 | $14,952 |
| Boston College MA · Private, nonprofit · 60 graduates measured | $54,538 | $91,874 | $19,000 |
| Brandeis University MA · Private, nonprofit · 44 graduates measured | $52,834 | $66,366 | $17,125 |
| University of California-San Diego CA · Public · 409 graduates measured | $52,280 | $81,174 | $13,086 |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $51,959 | $82,501 | $13,000 |
| Providence College RI · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $51,154 | $67,281 | Data unavailable |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $50,370 | $72,375 | $25,146 |
| Elon University NC · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $49,370 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 47 graduates measured | $219,153 | $253,631 | Data unavailable |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus OK · Public · 82 graduates measured | $87,673 | $96,269 | Data unavailable |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 84 graduates measured | $80,428 | $108,940 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 65 graduates measured | $71,600 | $81,832 | Data unavailable |
| Northeastern University MA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $70,489 | $85,630 | Data unavailable |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs MA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $70,489 | $85,630 | Data unavailable |
| Florida International University FL · Public · 93 graduates measured | $60,933 | $76,658 | Data unavailable |
| Northwest University WA · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $55,914 | $49,915 | Data unavailable |
| Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education WA · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $55,914 | $49,915 | Data unavailable |
| University of Arizona AZ · Public · 18 graduates measured | $54,675 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $69,308 | 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 International/Globalization Studies
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Political scientists | $142,080 | -2.0% | Master's degree |
| Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other | $72,990 | +1.6% | 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)
- 30.2001 International/Globalization Studies