Social Sciences, Other: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 45.99. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 244 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 | 15 | 112 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 12 | 102 | $35,518 | $40,934 | $13,624 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 120 | 1,311 | $43,502 | $56,812 | $23,079 27 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 53 | 280 | $55,402 | $64,286 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 22 | 69 | $77,348 | $73,599 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 4 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 18 | 64 | $54,672 | $62,694 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rose State College OK · Public · 36 graduates measured | $51,034 | $48,893 | 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.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 138 graduates measured | $66,107 | $101,138 | $12,078 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 35 graduates measured | $61,946 | $80,700 | $23,079 |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY · Public · 42 graduates measured | $60,477 | $69,996 | $14,200 |
| Boston University MA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $57,147 | Data unavailable | $19,750 |
| University of Rochester NY · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $55,410 | $68,333 | $16,125 |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 44 graduates measured | $54,403 | $74,983 | $20,999 |
| University of California-Davis CA · Public · 49 graduates measured | $53,181 | $68,535 | Data unavailable |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $48,387 | $54,086 | $27,000 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $47,179 | $57,360 | Data unavailable |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $45,369 | $65,085 | $23,875 |
| Eastern Oregon University OR · Public · 25 graduates measured | $45,275 | $49,611 | $29,500 |
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice NY · Public · 17 graduates measured | $44,187 | $54,259 | Data unavailable |
| SUNY Old Westbury NY · Public · 39 graduates measured | $44,051 | $56,609 | $13,575 |
| Loyola University Maryland MD · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $43,814 | $67,373 | $23,250 |
| Towson University MD · Public · 250 graduates measured | $43,588 | $62,559 | $20,672 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $70,973 | $87,609 | Data unavailable |
| Columbus State University GA · Public · 26 graduates measured | $70,039 | $67,595 | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WI · Public · 19 graduates measured | $69,397 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $62,921 | $82,105 | Data unavailable |
| Empire State University NY · Public · 32 graduates measured | $59,419 | $71,200 | Data unavailable |
| Azusa Pacific University CA · Private, nonprofit · 74 graduates measured | $57,392 | $63,771 | Data unavailable |
| Clark University MA · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $54,753 | $62,304 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY · Public · 28 graduates measured | $52,780 | $74,962 | Data unavailable |
| Wilmington University DE · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $52,524 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Midland University NE · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $45,092 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capella University MN · Private, for-profit · 89 graduates measured | $70,955 | $73,080 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Commonwealth University VA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $54,651 | 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 Social Sciences, Other
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | $101,110 | -0.2% | Bachelor'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)
- 45.9999 Social Sciences, Other