Economics: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 45.06. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,519 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 | 39 | 289 | $64,762 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 155 | 4,406 | $42,934 | $53,068 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 821 | 34,393 | $60,917 | $82,686 | $19,500 280 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 6 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 279 | 4,969 | $75,671 | $100,743 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 154 | 1,408 | $123,658 | $135,560 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 2 | 1 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 63 | 162 | $80,834 | $118,588 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $154,591 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 95 graduates measured | $124,433 | $161,149 | $13,500 |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 71 graduates measured | $120,683 | $155,592 | $14,000 |
| Dartmouth College NH · Private, nonprofit · 137 graduates measured | $115,308 | $152,929 | $14,833 |
| Amherst College MA · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $109,806 | $141,730 | $19,500 |
| Brown University RI · Private, nonprofit · 90 graduates measured | $108,964 | $124,508 | $12,000 |
| Yale University CT · Private, nonprofit · 87 graduates measured | $108,619 | $142,936 | $15,000 |
| Stanford University CA · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $108,498 | $112,700 | Data unavailable |
| Princeton University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 54 graduates measured | $108,471 | $160,763 | Data unavailable |
| Williams College MA · Private, nonprofit · 81 graduates measured | $105,744 | $166,678 | $9,750 |
| Pomona College CA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $101,681 | $96,702 | Data unavailable |
| Claremont McKenna College CA · Private, nonprofit · 55 graduates measured | $99,125 | $146,524 | $12,625 |
| University of Chicago IL · Private, nonprofit · 194 graduates measured | $98,564 | $159,578 | $12,000 |
| Carnegie Mellon University PA · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $98,098 | $144,886 | $19,000 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 141 graduates measured | $97,674 | $137,710 | $17,750 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 108 graduates measured | $120,814 | $138,425 | Data unavailable |
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public · 25 graduates measured | $105,102 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| The Chicago School at Los Angeles CA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $101,775 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Boston College MA · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $93,486 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $89,443 | $125,847 | Data unavailable |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH · Public · 18 graduates measured | $87,616 | $121,786 | Data unavailable |
| Ohio University-Main Campus OH · Public · 18 graduates measured | $87,136 | $97,827 | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 35 graduates measured | $84,389 | $111,251 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 23 graduates measured | $84,138 | $126,566 | Data unavailable |
| University of Missouri-Columbia MO · Public · 27 graduates measured | $83,386 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $80,487 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public · 43 graduates measured | $79,613 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| American University DC · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $78,792 | $103,169 | Data unavailable |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 48 graduates measured | $77,218 | $121,910 | Data unavailable |
| Utah State University UT · Public · 19 graduates measured | $75,436 | 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.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Mason University VA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $122,488 | $97,632 | 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 Economics
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists | $78,760 | +7.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Statisticians | $105,650 | +11.0% | Master's degree |
| Data scientists | $120,230 | +34.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Economists | $124,720 | +4.7% | Master's degree |
| Survey researchers | $69,460 | -4.8% | Master's degree |
| Social science research assistants | $61,990 | +5.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Economics teachers, postsecondary | $123,920 | +2.4% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $72,040 | -0.2% | Bachelor'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 (6)
- 45.0601 Economics, General
- 45.0602 Applied Economics
- 45.0603 Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
- 45.0604 Development Economics and International Development
- 45.0605 International Economics
- 45.0699 Economics, Other