Marketing: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Marketing graduates earn a median $69,303 four years after finishing — $20,943/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 3.2 years. Federal data pools 745 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 43,214 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Marketing ranks #69 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 66% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigham Young University | UT | $112,596 |
| 2 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | $112,211 |
| 3 | Boston College | MA | $106,353 |
| 4 | Georgetown University | DC | $105,944 |
| 5 | Santa Clara University | CA | $104,723 |
| 6 | Villanova University | PA | $102,222 |
| 7 | Washington University in St Louis | MO | $100,489 |
| 8 | Tulane University of Louisiana | LA | $98,503 |
| 9 | Lehigh University | PA | $98,320 |
| 10 | Texas Christian University | TX | $97,148 |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | $96,148 |
| 12 | George Washington University | DC | $95,528 |
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.