Education, Other: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Education, Other graduates earn a median $49,113 four years after finishing — $753/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 89.8 years. Federal data pools 97 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 1,716 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Education, Other ranks #171 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 16% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | MN | $67,795 |
| 2 | Gonzaga University | WA | $65,381 |
| 3 | Endicott College | MA | $57,946 |
| 4 | Mount Holyoke College | MA | $57,051 |
| 5 | Towson University | MD | $56,949 |
| 6 | University of Nevada-Reno | NV | $55,892 |
| 7 | Boston University | MA | $54,883 |
| 8 | Sonoma State University | CA | $52,842 |
| 9 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $51,781 |
| 10 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | $51,781 |
| 11 | Eastern Oregon University | OR | $51,176 |
| 12 | California State University-Channel Islands | CA | $49,106 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.