Home›Majors›Curriculum and Instruction

DOCTORAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1303

Curriculum and Instruction: is this doctoral degree worth it?

National picture across 24 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$83,569 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$83,569Median year-4 earnings

$19,144Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$83,569Median reported earnings · year 4

$81,282Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

25thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

24Reporting programs

24With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $46,713
Federal debt: $27,000
Reporting programs: 4

4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $60,655
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 198

198 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $83,569
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 24

24 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $68,838
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $68,198
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 6

6 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $71,589
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$78,398National median$83,56975th percentile$91,306

24 programs report year‑4 earnings.

DECISION CHECK

What to compare before choosing a program

The national result is only the starting point. Price, debt and the college-level earnings spread can materially change the payoff.

$91,30675th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs

Not availableMedian federal debt across programs that report it

0Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1St. John's University-New York$153,334 2Northern Illinois University$117,352 3University of Memphis$97,572 4Mercer University$96,686 5Georgia Southern University$91,534 6Teachers College at Columbia University$91,322 7University of Florida$91,306 8Capella University$91,034 9The University of Texas at Austin$85,479 10Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$84,607

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Education Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1081 · 1 crosswalk linksInstructional CoordinatorsSOC 25-9031 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	St. John's University-New YorkDoctoral Degree	Queens, NY	$153,334	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,999
2	Northern Illinois UniversityDoctoral Degree	Dekalb, IL	$117,352	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,391
3	University of MemphisDoctoral Degree	Memphis, TN	$97,572	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,397
4	Mercer UniversityDoctoral Degree	Macon, GA	$96,686	Not available	Baseline needed	$23,847
5	Georgia Southern UniversityDoctoral Degree	Statesboro, GA	$91,534	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,267
6	Teachers College at Columbia UniversityDoctoral Degree	New York, NY	$91,322	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
7	University of FloridaDoctoral Degree	Gainesville, FL	$91,306	Not available	Baseline needed	$6,541
8	Capella UniversityDoctoral Degree	Minneapolis, MN	$91,034	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,956
9	The University of Texas at AustinDoctoral Degree	Austin, TX	$85,479	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,857
10	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityDoctoral Degree	Blacksburg, VA	$84,607	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,953
11	University of South FloridaDoctoral Degree	Tampa, FL	$84,486	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,812
12	North Carolina State University at RaleighDoctoral Degree	Raleigh, NC	$83,594	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,303
13	Texas A&M University-College StationDoctoral Degree	College Station, TX	$83,544	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,315
14	Lindenwood UniversityDoctoral Degree	Saint Charles, MO	$83,439	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,638
15	University of South Carolina-ColumbiaDoctoral Degree	Columbia, SC	$80,374	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,811
16	University of Phoenix-ArizonaDoctoral Degree	Phoenix, AZ	$80,021	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,520
17	University of North Carolina at CharlotteDoctoral Degree	Charlotte, NC	$79,364	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,435
18	Michigan State UniversityDoctoral Degree	East Lansing, MI	$79,274	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,680
19	Gardner-Webb UniversityDoctoral Degree	Boiling Springs, NC	$78,398	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,674
20	University of Missouri-ColumbiaDoctoral Degree	Columbia, MO	$76,582	Not available	Baseline needed	$20,268
21	Texas Tech UniversityDoctoral Degree	Lubbock, TX	$75,455	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,070
22	Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusDoctoral Degree	University Park, PA	$74,098	Not available	Baseline needed	$32,875
23	Liberty UniversityDoctoral Degree	Lynchburg, VA	$73,065	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,357
24	University of Wisconsin-MadisonDoctoral Degree	Madison, WI	$70,523	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,354

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.