Education, General: is this doctoral degree worth it?
National picture across 36 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$95,543 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.
$95,543Median year-4 earnings
$18,765Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$95,543Median reported earnings · year 4
$95,257Average reported earnings · year 5
Not availableMedian federal debt
38thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
36Reporting programs
36With year-4 earnings
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
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $58,162
- Federal debt
- $14,250
- Reporting programs
- 2
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $42,127
- Federal debt
- $11,025
- Reporting programs
- 34
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,250
- Federal debt
- $26,525
- Reporting programs
- 88
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $60,429
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 2
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $63,909
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 217
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $95,543
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 36
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $83,429
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 2
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $68,300
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 8
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $62,656
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 12
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$87,043National median$95,54375th percentile$105,869
36 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of California, San Diego$131,3582University of California, Berkeley$130,5473Harvard University$125,4054Stanford University$125,3905Claremont Graduate University$118,3976Purdue University-Main Campus$118,1497Azusa Pacific University$113,2528University of Massachusetts-Amherst$110,8169Lesley University$107,72310George Mason University$105,869Observed 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.
Education Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1081 · 1 crosswalk linksTeaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special EducationSOC 25-9042 · 1 crosswalk linksTeaching Assistants, Special EducationSOC 25-9043 · 1 crosswalk links
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 | University of California, San DiegoDoctoral Degree | La Jolla, CA | $131,358 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,470 |
| 2 | University of California, BerkeleyDoctoral Degree | Berkeley, CA | $130,547 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,481 |
| 3 | Harvard UniversityDoctoral Degree | Cambridge, MA | $125,405 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,066 |
| 4 | Stanford UniversityDoctoral Degree | Stanford, CA | $125,390 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,807 |
| 5 | Claremont Graduate UniversityDoctoral Degree | Claremont, CA | $118,397 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 6 | Purdue University-Main CampusDoctoral Degree | West Lafayette, IN | $118,149 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,600 |
| 7 | Azusa Pacific UniversityDoctoral Degree | Azusa, CA | $113,252 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,212 |
| 8 | University of Massachusetts-AmherstDoctoral Degree | Amherst, MA | $110,816 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,383 |
| 9 | Lesley UniversityDoctoral Degree | Cambridge, MA | $107,723 | Not available | Baseline needed | $31,152 |
| 10 | George Mason UniversityDoctoral Degree | Fairfax, VA | $105,869 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,915 |
| 11 | University of California, RiversideDoctoral Degree | Riverside, CA | $105,195 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,304 |
| 12 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborDoctoral Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $103,220 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,138 |
| 13 | University of California, IrvineDoctoral Degree | Irvine, CA | $98,554 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,251 |
| 14 | University of California, Los AngelesDoctoral Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $96,245 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,548 |
| 15 | Capella UniversityDoctoral Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $96,095 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,956 |
| 16 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityDoctoral Degree | Richmond, VA | $95,708 | Not available | Baseline needed | $23,433 |
| 17 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionDoctoral Degree | Tempe, AZ | $95,602 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,967 |
| 18 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionDoctoral Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $95,602 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 19 | University of the Incarnate WordDoctoral Degree | San Antonio, TX | $95,483 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,775 |
| 20 | Walden UniversityDoctoral Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $94,881 | Not available | Baseline needed | $33,817 |
| 21 | University of MississippiDoctoral Degree | University, MS | $94,295 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,314 |
| 22 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDoctoral Degree | Chapel Hill, NC | $91,430 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,655 |
| 23 | University of California, Santa BarbaraDoctoral Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | $89,989 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,109 |
| 24 | University of Virginia-Main CampusDoctoral Degree | Charlottesville, VA | $89,240 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,565 |
| 25 | University of WyomingDoctoral Degree | Laramie, WY | $89,142 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,599 |
| 26 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusDoctoral Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $88,543 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,434 |
| 27 | Oklahoma State University-Main CampusDoctoral Degree | Stillwater, OK | $87,356 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,447 |
| 28 | Ohio State University-Main CampusDoctoral Degree | Columbus, OH | $87,043 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,339 |
| 29 | University of Missouri-St LouisDoctoral Degree | Saint Louis, MO | $85,991 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,071 |
| 30 | Nova Southeastern UniversityDoctoral Degree | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $81,299 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,371 |
| 31 | University of Central FloridaDoctoral Degree | Orlando, FL | $81,030 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,411 |
| 32 | Northcentral UniversityDoctoral Degree | San Diego, CA | $80,493 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 33 | Southwest Baptist UniversityDoctoral Degree | Bolivar, MO | $80,017 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,677 |
| 34 | The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleDoctoral Degree | Knoxville, TN | $77,153 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,976 |
| 35 | University of Southern MississippiDoctoral Degree | Hattiesburg, MS | $74,802 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,708 |
| 36 | Baker UniversityDoctoral Degree | Baldwin City, KS | $61,658 | Not available | Baseline needed | $25,301 |
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.