Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 51.32. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 592 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 | 25 | 217 | $31,456 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 10 | 88 | $78,935 | $102,881 | $24,578 2 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 44 | 368 | $42,366 | $87,441 | $21,625 6 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 19 | 0 | $70,256 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 241 | 3,949 | $93,124 | $100,487 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 26 | 162 | $104,925 | $107,610 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 10 | 56 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 217 | 410 | $106,935 | $112,957 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 25 graduates measured | $31,459 | 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.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing VA · Private, for-profit · 48 graduates measured | $87,094 | $107,866 | Data unavailable |
| University of the District of Columbia DC · Public · 20 graduates measured | $86,426 | Data unavailable | $26,910 |
| Independence University · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $60,706 | 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.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Richmond VA · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $48,046 | Data unavailable | $23,375 |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio TX · Public · 116 graduates measured | $35,261 | Data unavailable | $20,000 |
| Montclair State University NJ · Public · 27 graduates measured | $32,557 | Data unavailable | $23,250 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy University NY · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $144,954 | $139,972 | Data unavailable |
| Stony Brook University NY · Public · 67 graduates measured | $129,388 | $117,308 | Data unavailable |
| West Coast University-Texas TX · Private, for-profit · 83 graduates measured | $124,141 | $144,164 | Data unavailable |
| Framingham State University MA · Public · 48 graduates measured | $114,974 | $129,904 | Data unavailable |
| Cardinal Stritch University · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $114,623 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Herzing University-Madison WI · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $106,279 | $113,593 | Data unavailable |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ · Private, for-profit · 161 graduates measured | $105,687 | $119,956 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Arlington TX · Public · 192 graduates measured | $103,379 | $103,219 | Data unavailable |
| Saint Xavier University IL · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $103,305 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Texas Woman's University TX · Public · 37 graduates measured | $102,309 | $100,162 | Data unavailable |
| Empire State University NY · Public · 33 graduates measured | $101,567 | $118,071 | Data unavailable |
| Capella University MN · Private, for-profit · 601 graduates measured | $98,439 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at El Paso TX · Public · 22 graduates measured | $96,681 | $98,664 | Data unavailable |
| Lamar University TX · Public · 19 graduates measured | $95,514 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Rochester NY · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $95,462 | $95,894 | 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 · 49 graduates measured | $119,979 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Post University CT · Private, for-profit · 26 graduates measured | $108,226 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| William Carey University MS · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $104,644 | $111,063 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne State University MI · Public · 21 graduates measured | $98,421 | 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 Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education administrators, postsecondary | $104,590 | +1.8% | Master's degree |
| Medical and health services managers | $123,860 | +24.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Sociologists | $106,030 | +3.8% | Master's degree |
| Anthropologists and archeologists | $70,770 | +6.0% | Master's degree |
| Geographers | $102,040 | -2.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Historians | $76,750 | +3.0% | Master's degree |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | $101,110 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Community health workers | $51,850 | +12.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Directors, religious activities and education | $52,100 | +3.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other | $72,990 | +1.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $107,310 | +17.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary | $80,250 | +17.1% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Education teachers, postsecondary | $75,350 | +2.5% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| History teachers, postsecondary | $83,820 | 0.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary | $80,260 | +2.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $77,640 | +2.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other | $65,790 | +5.1% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
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 (7)
- 51.3201 Bioethics/Medical Ethics
- 51.3202 Health Professions Education
- 51.3203 Nursing Education
- 51.3204 Medical/Health Humanities
- 51.3205 History of Medicine
- 51.3206 Arts in Medicine/Health
- 51.3299 Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities, Other