DegreeVerdict
ROI Calculator
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DOCTORAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1515

Engineering-Related Fields: is this doctoral degree worth it?

National picture across 1 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$180,549 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.

$180,549Median year-4 earnings
$36,586Average 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

$180,549Median reported earnings · year 4
Not availableAverage reported earnings · year 5
Not availableMedian federal debt
98thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
1Reporting programs
1With 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

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$83,619
Federal debt
$17,625
Reporting programs
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$90,275
Federal debt
$25,368
Reporting programs
34
34 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$127,032
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
40
40 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$180,549
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$119,889
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
2
2 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$180,549National median$180,54975th percentile$180,549
1 programs report year‑4 earnings.
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1George Washington University$180,549

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.

Architectural and Engineering ManagersSOC 11-9041 · 3 crosswalk linksEngineering Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1032 · 2 crosswalk linksIndustrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansSOC 17-3026 · 2 crosswalk linksIndustrial EngineersSOC 17-2112 · 2 crosswalk linksCommercial and Industrial DesignersSOC 27-1021 · 1 crosswalk linksEngineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All OtherSOC 17-3029 · 1 crosswalk linksEngineers, All OtherSOC 17-2199 · 1 crosswalk linksFacilities ManagersSOC 11-3013 · 1 crosswalk linksIndustrial Production ManagersSOC 11-3051 · 1 crosswalk linksNO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk linksPostsecondary Teachers, All OtherSOC 25-1199 · 1 crosswalk links
BEST COLLEGES FOR ENGINEERING-RELATED FIELDS

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.

#CollegeLocationEarnings, year 4Federal debtROI statusCost context
1George Washington UniversityDoctoral DegreeWashington, DC$180,549Not availableBaseline needed$36,586

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.