Statistics: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Statistics graduates earn a median $92,425 four years after finishing — $44,065/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 1.5 years. Federal data pools 212 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 5,232 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Statistics ranks #18 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 92% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | MA | $230,876 |
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $156,743 |
| 3 | Duke University | NC | $152,782 |
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $133,986 |
| 5 | University of Chicago | IL | $130,189 |
| 6 | University of Iowa | IA | $123,676 |
| 7 | Northwestern University | IL | $122,682 |
| 8 | Cornell University | NY | $111,090 |
| 9 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | $109,466 |
| 10 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $109,017 |
| 11 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | VA | $108,532 |
| 12 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | $105,978 |
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.