Economics: is this master's degree worth it?
National picture across 22 reporting college programs.
$104,085 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.
Observed national outcomes
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.
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $101,310
- Federal debt
- $22,625
- Reporting programs
- 1
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $60,076
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $79,468
- Federal debt
- $22,907
- Reporting programs
- 390
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $104,085
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 22
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $97,632
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
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.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Johns Hopkins University$138,4252The University of Texas at Austin$126,5663George Washington University$125,8474Texas A&M University-College Station$121,9105University of Cincinnati-Main Campus$121,7866DePaul University$117,1547George Mason University$111,2518University of California, Santa Cruz$110,4259Marquette University$106,75310University of Houston$106,324Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
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 | Johns Hopkins UniversityMaster's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $138,425 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,809 |
| 2 | The University of Texas at AustinMaster's Degree | Austin, TX | $126,566 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,857 |
| 3 | George Washington UniversityMaster's Degree | Washington, DC | $125,847 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,586 |
| 4 | Texas A&M University-College StationMaster's Degree | College Station, TX | $121,910 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,315 |
| 5 | University of Cincinnati-Main CampusMaster's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $121,786 | Not available | Baseline needed | $25,648 |
| 6 | DePaul UniversityMaster's Degree | Chicago, IL | $117,154 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,902 |
| 7 | George Mason UniversityMaster's Degree | Fairfax, VA | $111,251 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,915 |
| 8 | University of California, Santa CruzMaster's Degree | Santa Cruz, CA | $110,425 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,890 |
| 9 | Marquette UniversityMaster's Degree | Milwaukee, WI | $106,753 | Not available | Baseline needed | $31,487 |
| 10 | University of HoustonMaster's Degree | Houston, TX | $106,324 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,276 |
| 11 | Fordham UniversityMaster's Degree | Bronx, NY | $105,001 | Not available | Baseline needed | $44,338 |
| 12 | American UniversityMaster's Degree | Washington, DC | $103,169 | Not available | Baseline needed | $41,943 |
| 13 | Florida State UniversityMaster's Degree | Tallahassee, FL | $101,636 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,297 |
| 14 | Georgetown UniversityMaster's Degree | Washington, DC | $99,537 | Not available | Baseline needed | $40,815 |
| 15 | Ohio University-Main CampusMaster's Degree | Athens, OH | $97,827 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,637 |
| 16 | Georgia State UniversityMaster's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $95,801 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,931 |
| 17 | Brandeis UniversityMaster's Degree | Waltham, MA | $87,354 | Not available | Baseline needed | $35,736 |
| 18 | University of DenverMaster's Degree | Denver, CO | $82,777 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,131 |
| 19 | Emory UniversityMaster's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $74,173 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,585 |
| 20 | Saint Mary's University of MinnesotaMaster's Degree | Winona, MN | $73,874 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,704 |
| 21 | Southern New Hampshire UniversityMaster's Degree | Manchester, NH | $71,367 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,708 |
| 22 | Eastern UniversityMaster's Degree | Saint Davids, PA | $65,464 | Not available | Baseline needed | $26,662 |
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.