Marketing: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 52.14. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,885 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 | 300 | 3,326 | $43,966 | $49,757 | $19,824 18 programs |
| Associate's degree | 266 | 1,966 | $38,094 | $44,264 | $21,900 41 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 924 | 44,871 | $52,121 | $69,303 | $22,250 489 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 13 | 0 | $83,291 | $96,310 | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 232 | 2,939 | $67,286 | $79,106 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 19 | 25 | Data unavailable | $146,358 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 3 | 1 | $137,876 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 128 | 622 | $88,480 | $93,837 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater WI · Public · 22 graduates measured | $56,249 | Data unavailable | $20,148 |
| Northern Arizona University AZ · Public · 35 graduates measured | $54,518 | $69,605 | $19,500 |
| Messiah University PA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $51,238 | Data unavailable | $23,250 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 63 graduates measured | $50,204 | $66,614 | $18,871 |
| University of Phoenix-Hawaii · Private, for-profit · 41 graduates measured | $48,532 | $69,299 | $24,199 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ · Private, for-profit · 41 graduates measured | $48,532 | $69,299 | $24,199 |
| University of Phoenix-California · Private, for-profit · 41 graduates measured | $48,532 | $69,299 | $24,199 |
| University of Phoenix-Texas · Private, for-profit · 41 graduates measured | $48,532 | $69,299 | $24,199 |
| Saint Cloud State University MN · Public · 37 graduates measured | $46,657 | $75,043 | $23,665 |
| Miami Dade College FL · Public · 33 graduates measured | $40,293 | Data unavailable | $10,750 |
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.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normandale Community College MN · Public · 22 graduates measured | $56,250 | Data unavailable | $15,875 |
| Northcentral Technical College WI · Public · 18 graduates measured | $46,395 | $37,143 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College NY · Public · 24 graduates measured | $45,939 | Data unavailable | $6,195 |
| Green River College WA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $45,575 | $54,972 | $16,997 |
| Southern New Hampshire University NH · Private, nonprofit · 76 graduates measured | $44,453 | $61,532 | $19,332 |
| Rasmussen University-Florida FL · Private, for-profit · 22 graduates measured | $43,544 | $51,824 | $27,750 |
| Rasmussen University-Minnesota MN · Private, for-profit · 22 graduates measured | $43,544 | $51,824 | $27,750 |
| Rasmussen University-North Dakota ND · Private, for-profit · 22 graduates measured | $43,544 | $51,824 | $27,750 |
| Rasmussen University-Illinois IL · Private, for-profit · 22 graduates measured | $43,544 | $51,824 | $27,750 |
| Rasmussen University-Wisconsin WI · Private, for-profit · 22 graduates measured | $43,544 | $51,824 | $27,750 |
| Rasmussen University-Kansas KS · Private, for-profit · 22 graduates measured | $43,544 | $51,824 | $27,750 |
| CUNY New York City College of Technology NY · Public · 16 graduates measured | $42,568 | $50,267 | Data unavailable |
| Gwinnett Technical College GA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $42,452 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Lake Area Technical College SD · Public · 47 graduates measured | $41,641 | $43,632 | $12,000 |
| Fox Valley Technical College WI · Public · 22 graduates measured | $40,465 | 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 Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $89,454 | $112,211 | $7,500 |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $88,544 | $105,944 | $16,800 |
| Boston College MA · Private, nonprofit · 103 graduates measured | $76,748 | $106,353 | $19,000 |
| Brigham Young University UT · Private, nonprofit · 91 graduates measured | $73,160 | $112,596 | $15,976 |
| Santa Clara University CA · Private, nonprofit · 58 graduates measured | $72,607 | $104,723 | $20,298 |
| Howard University DC · Private, nonprofit · 90 graduates measured | $72,105 | $77,820 | $24,250 |
| Villanova University PA · Private, nonprofit · 68 graduates measured | $71,987 | $102,222 | $24,524 |
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 35 graduates measured | $70,783 | $91,088 | $19,000 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public · 133 graduates measured | $70,112 | $90,744 | $16,617 |
| The Catholic University of America DC · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $70,046 | $85,029 | Data unavailable |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 228 graduates measured | $67,393 | $86,246 | $18,676 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 181 graduates measured | $67,255 | $96,148 | $16,031 |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 134 graduates measured | $66,934 | $91,955 | $18,500 |
| Washington University in St Louis MO · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $66,898 | $100,489 | Data unavailable |
| University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public · 146 graduates measured | $66,863 | $93,782 | $19,500 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 43 graduates measured | $106,996 | $131,018 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $169,017 | $255,357 | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 33 graduates measured | $126,487 | $166,668 | Data unavailable |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $113,366 | $124,730 | Data unavailable |
| Western Carolina University NC · Public · 18 graduates measured | $100,745 | $58,995 | Data unavailable |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia PA · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $99,549 | $109,948 | Data unavailable |
| Santa Clara University CA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $92,109 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $91,554 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $91,554 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Boston University MA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $85,259 | $103,316 | Data unavailable |
| Vanderbilt University TN · Private, nonprofit · 76 graduates measured | $84,154 | $140,404 | Data unavailable |
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 98 graduates measured | $82,942 | $100,453 | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $81,786 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California Lutheran University CA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $81,263 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bentley University MA · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $76,503 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Georgia State University GA · Public · 38 graduates measured | $74,773 | $80,194 | 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 Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $137,699 | 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.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa IA · Public · 31 graduates measured | $141,288 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 25 graduates measured | $131,083 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Southern New Hampshire University NH · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $75,993 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| East Carolina University NC · Public · 16 graduates measured | $67,010 | $89,219 | Data unavailable |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ · Private, for-profit · 17 graduates measured | $55,392 | $65,411 | 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 Marketing
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising and promotions managers | $133,660 | -3.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Marketing managers | $166,790 | +6.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Sales managers | $148,270 | +4.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Fundraising managers | $125,470 | +5.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Fundraisers | $72,550 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists | $78,760 | +7.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Web and digital interface designers | $104,000 | +6.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Survey researchers | $69,460 | -4.8% | Master's degree |
| Business teachers, postsecondary | $99,080 | +5.9% | 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)
- 52.1401 Marketing/Marketing Management, General
- 52.1402 Marketing Research
- 52.1403 International Marketing
- 52.1404 Digital Marketing
- 52.1499 Marketing, Other