Curriculum and Instruction
Offered at 618 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 2 | — | — | — |
| Associate | 1 | — | — | — |
| Bachelor's | 8 | — | — | — |
| Post-bacc certificate | 1 | — | — | — |
| Master's | 396 | $57,063 | $62,207 | — |
| Doctoral | 124 | $78,158 | $85,535 | — |
| Professional | 5 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 81 | $57,386 | $65,187 | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico State University-Alamogordo | NM | — | $36,277 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walden University | MN | — | $92,826 | — |
| 2 | University of Akron Main Campus | OH | $41,101 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning post-bacc certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $66,676 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $78,539 | $102,446 | — |
| 2 | Concordia University-Irvine | CA | $88,578 | $101,962 | — |
| 3 | University of Redlands | CA | — | $99,608 | — |
| 4 | California State University-Fresno | CA | $74,036 | $92,431 | — |
| 5 | Teachers College at Columbia University | NY | $73,602 | $85,320 | — |
| 6 | Boston University | MA | $66,640 | $84,756 | — |
| 7 | Alverno College | WI | $77,251 | $83,129 | — |
| 8 | City University of Seattle | WA | $73,754 | $82,370 | — |
| 9 | Berry College | GA | $81,382 | — | — |
| 10 | McDaniel College | MD | $69,376 | $79,547 | — |
| 11 | Washington State University | WA | — | $79,397 | — |
| 12 | Walden University | MN | $82,716 | $78,301 | — |
| 13 | California State University-East Bay | CA | $78,178 | — | — |
| 14 | Portland State University | OR | $68,696 | $77,998 | — |
| 15 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | $77,481 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. John's University-New York | NY | $130,968 | $156,365 | — |
| 2 | Northern Illinois University | IL | — | $124,848 | — |
| 3 | University of Denver | CO | $78,303 | $109,135 | — |
| 4 | Chapman University | CA | $91,496 | $103,116 | — |
| 5 | Teachers College at Columbia University | NY | — | $99,411 | — |
| 6 | University of Illinois Chicago | IL | $98,758 | — | — |
| 7 | Mercer University | GA | — | $97,882 | — |
| 8 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | $60,861 | $97,157 | — |
| 9 | University of Florida | FL | $78,014 | $93,577 | — |
| 10 | Capella University | MN | $80,642 | $93,053 | — |
| 11 | Baylor University | TX | $91,353 | — | — |
| 12 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $75,834 | $89,985 | — |
| 13 | Piedmont University | GA | $88,303 | — | — |
| 14 | Georgia Southern University | GA | $84,156 | $87,973 | — |
| 15 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | $72,339 | $87,785 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning professional programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piedmont University | GA | $72,046 | $74,617 | — |
| 2 | Lincoln Memorial University | TN | $69,694 | $68,959 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning graduate certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | MD | — | $90,826 | — |
| 2 | George Mason University | VA | $57,386 | $67,716 | — |
| 3 | Walden University | MN | — | $65,187 | — |
| 4 | Morehead State University | KY | $64,290 | $64,640 | — |
| 5 | University of Denver | CO | $52,310 | $60,098 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
