Public Policy Analysis: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 44.05. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 485 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 | 17 | 203 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 3 | 9 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 132 | 2,466 | $53,031 | $73,721 | $19,250 36 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 8 | 0 | $85,590 | $72,838 | $24,869 1 programs |
| Master's degree | 182 | 2,870 | $74,461 | $93,020 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 61 | 243 | $102,462 | $119,220 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 3 | 0 | $84,849 | $112,991 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 79 | 392 | $78,216 | $80,781 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University NY · Private, nonprofit · 58 graduates measured | $91,332 | $126,767 | $13,250 |
| Princeton University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 59 graduates measured | $75,701 | $107,792 | Data unavailable |
| Empire State University NY · Public · 52 graduates measured | $71,242 | Data unavailable | $20,615 |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 117 graduates measured | $70,713 | $103,071 | $13,625 |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $65,676 | $74,511 | $16,500 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 71 graduates measured | $65,598 | $73,749 | $22,392 |
| University of Chicago IL · Private, nonprofit · 56 graduates measured | $62,208 | $94,237 | $12,250 |
| Brown University RI · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $60,280 | $94,962 | Data unavailable |
| University of Delaware DE · Public · 41 graduates measured | $55,344 | $65,776 | $23,250 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 182 graduates measured | $54,184 | $71,723 | $21,000 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 182 graduates measured | $54,184 | $71,723 | $21,000 |
| Trinity College CT · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $52,979 | $82,638 | $22,875 |
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 19 graduates measured | $52,507 | $58,535 | $15,848 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public · 125 graduates measured | $52,170 | $74,403 | $13,000 |
| William & Mary VA · Public · 30 graduates measured | $52,100 | $69,118 | $16,425 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 19 graduates measured | $97,275 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 174 graduates measured | $102,390 | $129,978 | Data unavailable |
| Princeton University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 61 graduates measured | $98,226 | $120,163 | Data unavailable |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 107 graduates measured | $94,735 | $110,634 | Data unavailable |
| Tufts University MA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $92,634 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Chicago IL · Private, nonprofit · 253 graduates measured | $88,156 | $112,727 | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 76 graduates measured | $83,794 | $97,926 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 130 graduates measured | $81,950 | $107,392 | Data unavailable |
| Carnegie Mellon University PA · Private, nonprofit · 71 graduates measured | $80,486 | $103,268 | Data unavailable |
| The New School NY · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $80,469 | $89,713 | Data unavailable |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $80,296 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 91 graduates measured | $79,570 | $109,274 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-Camden NJ · Public · 28 graduates measured | $79,412 | $89,111 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 28 graduates measured | $79,412 | $89,111 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 124 graduates measured | $77,710 | $84,618 | Data unavailable |
| Brown University RI · Private, nonprofit · 52 graduates measured | $77,601 | $87,139 | 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 Nevada-Las Vegas NV · Public · 22 graduates measured | $94,257 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Brandeis University MA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $85,343 | 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 California-Berkeley CA · Public · 97 graduates measured | $86,960 | $113,884 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 71 graduates measured | $86,486 | $89,003 | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth MA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $74,212 | 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 Public Policy Analysis
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and health services managers | $123,860 | +24.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Political scientists | $142,080 | -2.0% | 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 |
| Political science teachers, postsecondary | $98,070 | +2.5% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $107,310 | +17.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 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 (5)
- 44.0501 Public Policy Analysis, General
- 44.0502 Education Policy Analysis
- 44.0503 Health Policy Analysis
- 44.0504 International Policy Analysis
- 44.0599 Public Policy Analysis, Other