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Education, General.
Doctoral Degree•80 Institutions
Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.
Annual Full Cost vs. Median Earnings
Each dot represents one program at an institution. Shows the spread of annual sticker price (or net price if sticker price is unavailable) vs earnings 4 years post-grad.
Field Median ($89,989)
P25-P75 Interval ($82,440 - $103,220)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution | State | Earnings | Avg Net Price | Median Debt | Lifetime Value Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
La Jolla | CA | $131,358 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $12,470 /yr | - | +$281k |
Berkeley | CA | $130,547 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $13,481 /yr | - | +$271k |
Stanford | CA | $125,390 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $13,807 /yr | - | +$232k |
Claremont | CA | $118,397 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | - /yr | $98,011 | +$231k |
Cambridge | MA | $125,405 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $19,066 /yr | $25,465 | +$214k |
West Lafayette | IN | $118,149 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $14,600 /yr | - | +$176k |
Azusa Pacific University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Azusa | CA | $113,252 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $22,212 /yr | $95,539 | +$113k |
Amherst | MA | $110,816 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $22,383 /yr | - | +$94k |
Riverside | CA | $105,195 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $14,304 /yr | - | +$81k |
Fairfax | VA | $105,869 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $17,915 /yr | $60,555 | +$73k |
Ann Arbor | MI | $103,220 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $13,138 /yr | - | +$71k |
Arizona State University Digital Immersion ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Scottsdale | AZ | $95,602 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | - /yr | $66,553 | +$62k |
Cambridge | MA | $107,723 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $31,152 /yr | $75,166 | +$40k |
Irvine | CA | $98,554 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $14,251 /yr | - | +$32k |
Los Angeles | CA | $96,245 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $12,548 /yr | $66,580 | +$21k |
Tempe | AZ | $95,602 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $14,967 /yr | $66,553 | +$8k |
University | MS | $94,295 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $13,314 /yr | $53,957 | +$4k |
Capella University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Minneapolis | MN | $96,095 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $17,956 /yr | $114,567 | +$696 |
Tucson | AZ | - Nat: $87,373 | $16,674 /yr | - | -$0 |
San Diego | CA | - Nat: $87,373 | $15,364 /yr | $25,712 | -$0 |
Newark | DE | - Nat: $87,373 | $17,799 /yr | - | -$0 |
Washington | DC | - Nat: $87,373 | $29,561 /yr | - | -$0 |
Atlanta | GA | - Nat: $87,373 | $15,931 /yr | - | -$0 |
Honolulu | HI | - Nat: $87,373 | $15,664 /yr | - | -$0 |
Moscow | ID | - Nat: $87,373 | $14,831 /yr | - | -$0 |
Champaign | IL | - Nat: $87,373 | $14,355 /yr | - | -$0 |
Ames | IA | - Nat: $87,373 | $18,589 /yr | - | -$0 |
Cedar Falls | IA | - Nat: $87,373 | $15,901 /yr | - | -$0 |
Orono | ME | - Nat: $87,373 | $17,510 /yr | - | -$0 |
Baltimore | MD | - Nat: $87,373 | $18,809 /yr | - | -$0 |
American International College ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Springfield | MA | - Nat: $87,373 | $23,274 /yr | - | -$0 |
Lowell | MA | - Nat: $87,373 | $17,163 /yr | - | -$0 |
Boston | MA | - Nat: $87,373 | $17,707 /yr | - | -$0 |
Ypsilanti | MI | - Nat: $87,373 | $15,407 /yr | - | -$0 |
Dearborn | MI | - Nat: $87,373 | $9,492 /yr | - | -$0 |
University of Michigan-Flint ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Flint | MI | - Nat: $87,373 | $7,007 /yr | - | -$0 |
Saint Paul | MN | - Nat: $87,373 | $20,744 /yr | - | -$0 |
Duluth | MN | - Nat: $87,373 | $18,743 /yr | - | -$0 |
Cleveland | MS | - Nat: $87,373 | $13,540 /yr | - | -$0 |
Kansas City | MO | - Nat: $87,373 | $13,310 /yr | - | -$0 |
St. Louis | MO | - Nat: $87,373 | $21,786 /yr | - | -$0 |
Bozeman | MT | - Nat: $87,373 | $22,499 /yr | - | -$0 |
Lincoln | NE | - Nat: $87,373 | $26,919 /yr | - | -$0 |
Reno | NV | - Nat: $87,373 | $15,927 /yr | - | -$0 |
New Brunswick | NJ | - Nat: $87,373 | $24,406 /yr | - | -$0 |
Ithaca | NY | - Nat: $87,373 | $28,690 /yr | - | -$0 |
Hempstead | NY | - Nat: $87,373 | $34,176 /yr | - | -$0 |
Findlay | OH | - Nat: $87,373 | $27,221 /yr | - | -$0 |
Philadelphia | PA | - Nat: $87,373 | $28,198 /yr | - | -$0 |
Kingston | RI | - Nat: $87,373 | $21,440 /yr | - | -$0 |
Columbia | SC | - Nat: $87,373 | $22,811 /yr | - | -$0 |
Seattle | WA | - Nat: $87,373 | $24,488 /yr | - | -$0 |
Huntington | WV | - Nat: $87,373 | $7,502 /yr | - | -$0 |
Morgantown | WV | - Nat: $87,373 | $15,634 /yr | - | -$0 |
Tacoma | WA | $88,195 Nat: $87,373 2yr Post-Grad | $10,163 /yr | - | -$3k |
Chapel Hill | NC | $91,430 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $11,655 /yr | $81,040 | -$11k |
Seattle | WA | $88,195 Nat: $87,373 2yr Post-Grad | $14,091 /yr | - | -$18k |
University of the Incarnate Word ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. San Antonio | TX | $95,483 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $22,775 /yr | - | -$21k |
Richmond | VA | $95,708 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $23,433 /yr | - | -$22k |
Laramie | WY | $89,142 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $13,599 /yr | - | -$35k |
Santa Barbara | CA | $89,989 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $16,109 /yr | - | -$38k |
Northcentral University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. San Diego | CA | $80,493 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | - /yr | $72,765 | -$51k |
Stillwater | OK | $87,356 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $17,447 /yr | - | -$62k |
Charlottesville | VA | $89,240 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $21,565 /yr | - | -$63k |
University of Missouri-St Louis ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Saint Louis | MO | $85,991 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $15,071 /yr | $46,923 | -$64k |
Columbus | OH | $87,043 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $17,339 /yr | $49,485 | -$64k |
Walden University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Minneapolis | MN | $94,881 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $33,817 /yr | $132,844 | -$65k |
Bend | OR | $82,440 Nat: $87,373 2yr Post-Grad | $18,048 /yr | - | -$76k |
Corvallis | OR | $82,440 Nat: $87,373 2yr Post-Grad | $19,604 /yr | - | -$82k |
Orlando | FL | $81,030 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $10,411 /yr | - | -$84k |
Pittsburgh | PA | $88,543 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $30,434 /yr | $63,712 | -$100k |
Bolivar | MO | $80,017 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $21,677 /yr | - | -$132k |
Cleveland | OH | $73,446 Nat: $87,373 2yr Post-Grad | $14,764 /yr | - | -$134k |
Knoxville | TN | $77,153 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $18,976 /yr | $61,500 | -$144k |
Fort Lauderdale | FL | $81,299 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $30,371 /yr | $142,473 | -$154k |
Greensboro | NC | $67,101 Nat: $87,373 2yr Post-Grad | $10,965 /yr | - | -$170k |
Hattiesburg | MS | $74,802 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $21,708 /yr | - | -$171k |
Philadelphia | PA | $65,238 Nat: $87,373 2yr Post-Grad | $28,699 /yr | - | -$248k |
Rochester | NY | $63,005 Nat: $87,373 2yr Post-Grad | $29,278 /yr | - | -$268k |
Baker University ⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI. Baldwin City | KS | $61,658 Nat: $87,373 4yr Post-Grad | $25,301 /yr | - | -$283k |
Analysis Notes:
- Lifetime Value Added: Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median bachelor's degree holder, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes.
- Avg Net Price: The average price paid by students who receive federal financial aid (grants/loans).Note: For graduate programs, the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition and net price.
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.