This study documents how much college students earn after they graduate.
- New data from the U.S. Department of Education reveal the typical earnings of recent college graduates 2 years after graduation.
- Median earnings vary by credential: associate degree ($31,000), bachelor’s degree ($38,000), master’s degree ($55,000), professional degree ($63,000), and doctoral degree ($71,000).
- Median earnings by academic field (4-digit CIP code) and credential are reported.
- The largest academic fields and degrees with the biggest growth or decline in earnings are reported.
- Graduates from for-profit colleges who received a bachelor’s degree had higher earnings than graduates from public or private nonprofit colleges. Graduates with an associate degree from a for-profit college earned less.