Urban Studies/Affairs: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 45.12. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 196 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 | 6 | 12 | $54,833 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 3 | 10 | Data unavailable | $46,859 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 108 | 904 | $46,328 | $62,532 | $24,562 19 programs |
| Master's degree | 40 | 315 | $71,587 | $79,634 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 15 | 35 | $81,306 | $86,485 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 23 | 67 | 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.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnard College NY · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $76,413 | $79,807 | $13,192 |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $70,981 | $76,125 | Data unavailable |
| San Francisco State University CA · Public · 33 graduates measured | $62,498 | $70,207 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 26 graduates measured | $55,246 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Nevada-Las Vegas NV · Public · 45 graduates measured | $53,345 | $58,010 | $34,875 |
| University of California-San Diego CA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $49,555 | $71,380 | $8,891 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 30 graduates measured | $48,776 | $62,807 | $21,311 |
| Portland State University OR · Public · 29 graduates measured | $48,714 | Data unavailable | $28,050 |
| CUNY Queens College NY · Public · 29 graduates measured | $47,592 | $74,979 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Irvine CA · Public · 66 graduates measured | $44,874 | $63,819 | $12,250 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 33 graduates measured | $44,690 | $63,174 | $19,078 |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus WA · Public · 33 graduates measured | $44,690 | $63,174 | $19,078 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University VA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $44,334 | $58,084 | $19,250 |
| University of Connecticut CT · Public · 20 graduates measured | $43,859 | $57,342 | $27,000 |
| University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus CT · Public · 20 graduates measured | $43,859 | $57,342 | $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 Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 96 graduates measured | $88,498 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Queens College NY · Public · 29 graduates measured | $84,059 | $89,294 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY · Public · 29 graduates measured | $76,161 | $74,689 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Hunter College NY · Public · 86 graduates measured | $75,000 | $89,866 | Data unavailable |
| University of San Francisco CA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $74,755 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Tufts University MA · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $69,514 | $83,598 | Data unavailable |
| Georgia State University GA · Public · 35 graduates measured | $64,357 | $91,085 | Data unavailable |
| Virginia Commonwealth University VA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $63,588 | 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 Urban Studies/Affairs
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Sociologists | $106,030 | +3.8% | Master's degree |
| Urban and regional planners | $89,320 | +3.9% | 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)
- 45.1201 Urban Studies/Affairs