Law: is this doctoral degree worth it?
National picture across 26 reporting college programs.
$100,383 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.
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $156,311
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $77,881
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 6
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $100,383
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 26
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $97,854
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 176
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.
1Duke University$261,2302Cornell University$259,8513Yale University$188,1894The University of Texas at Austin$173,1145University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$130,4286Pepperdine University$126,5617Baylor University$121,7158University of San Francisco$120,4859Arizona State University Campus Immersion$111,66810Rutgers University-New Brunswick$106,575Observed 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 | Duke UniversityDoctoral Degree | Durham, NC | $261,230 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,612 |
| 2 | Cornell UniversityDoctoral Degree | Ithaca, NY | $259,851 | Not available | Baseline needed | $28,690 |
| 3 | Yale UniversityDoctoral Degree | New Haven, CT | $188,189 | Not available | Baseline needed | $23,777 |
| 4 | The University of Texas at AustinDoctoral Degree | Austin, TX | $173,114 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,857 |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignDoctoral Degree | Champaign, IL | $130,428 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,355 |
| 6 | Pepperdine UniversityDoctoral Degree | Malibu, CA | $126,561 | Not available | Baseline needed | $58,098 |
| 7 | Baylor UniversityDoctoral Degree | Waco, TX | $121,715 | Not available | Baseline needed | $41,104 |
| 8 | University of San FranciscoDoctoral Degree | San Francisco, CA | $120,485 | Not available | Baseline needed | $41,431 |
| 9 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionDoctoral Degree | Tempe, AZ | $111,668 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,967 |
| 10 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickDoctoral Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $106,575 | Not available | Baseline needed | $24,406 |
| 11 | Florida International UniversityDoctoral Degree | Miami, FL | $105,414 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,288 |
| 12 | Suffolk UniversityDoctoral Degree | Boston, MA | $103,969 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,618 |
| 13 | University of New Hampshire-Main CampusDoctoral Degree | Durham, NH | $100,597 | Not available | Baseline needed | $23,805 |
| 14 | Belmont UniversityDoctoral Degree | Nashville, TN | $100,168 | Not available | Baseline needed | $33,147 |
| 15 | St. Thomas UniversityDoctoral Degree | Miami Gardens, FL | $99,412 | Not available | Baseline needed | $26,312 |
| 16 | Lewis & Clark CollegeDoctoral Degree | Portland, OR | $97,491 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,013 |
| 17 | University of Illinois ChicagoDoctoral Degree | Chicago, IL | $95,603 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,974 |
| 18 | Samford UniversityDoctoral Degree | Birmingham, AL | $91,687 | Not available | Baseline needed | $32,622 |
| 19 | Mercer UniversityDoctoral Degree | Macon, GA | $90,359 | Not available | Baseline needed | $23,847 |
| 20 | Albany Law SchoolDoctoral Degree | Albany, NY | $89,212 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 21 | University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusDoctoral Degree | Norman, OK | $86,893 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,300 |
| 22 | University of New Mexico-Main CampusDoctoral Degree | Albuquerque, NM | $85,706 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,489 |
| 23 | Loyola University New OrleansDoctoral Degree | New Orleans, LA | $81,071 | Not available | Baseline needed | $23,696 |
| 24 | Western New England UniversityDoctoral Degree | Springfield, MA | $79,692 | Not available | Baseline needed | $27,290 |
| 25 | University of Massachusetts-DartmouthDoctoral Degree | North Dartmouth, MA | $78,991 | Not available | Baseline needed | $20,927 |
| 26 | Massachusetts School of LawDoctoral Degree | Andover, MA | $76,572 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
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.