Popular graduate paths
MBA programs1,085 programs · $78,406 first year · $34,114 median debtLaw schools (JD)178 programs · $76,631 first year · $108,425 median debtMedical schools (MD)139 programs · $65,700 first year · $199,334 median debtNursing graduate programs (MSN, DNP)625 programs · $107,455 first year · $45,400 median debtPhysician assistant and allied health master's408 programs · $112,674 first year · $123,104 median debtPharmacy schools (PharmD)125 programs · $103,836 first year · $136,641 median debtDental schools (DDS, DMD)58 programs · $132,190 first year · $289,671 median debtPhysical and occupational therapy programs251 programs · $76,367 first year · $112,454 median debtMaster of social work (MSW)333 programs · $56,114 first year · $38,212 median debtComputer science master's276 programs · $118,338 first year · $34,500 median debtPublic health (MPH)388 programs · $64,071 first year · $41,000 median debtCounseling master's391 programs · $50,799 first year · $51,203 median debtEducation master's352 programs · $58,521 first year · $27,365 median debtAccounting master's512 programs · $73,516 first year · $21,461 median debtPsychology graduate programs103 programs · $77,397 first year · $82,262 median debtEngineering master's110 programs · $107,628 first year · $31,098 median debt Working full time? Compare executive MBA programs by cost and schedule, or shorter C-suite programs for future CFOs, CMOs and CTOs.
Highest-paying graduate degrees
Fields with 25 or more programs at that level, ranked by the typical program's median earnings one year after graduation, with median federal debt.
| # | Field | Degree | 1 yr after | Median debt | Debt to first-year pay | Programs |
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| 1 | Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Master's | $221,833 | $195,729 | 88% | 54 |
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| 2 | Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Master's | $151,050 | $66,818 | 44% | 54 |
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| 3 | Chemical engineering | Doctoral | $145,290 | n/a | n/a | 119 |
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| 4 | Electrical engineering | Doctoral | $144,305 | n/a | n/a | 145 |
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| 5 | Computer and information sciences | Doctoral | $143,439 | $46,616 | 32% | 96 |
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| 6 | Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Doctoral | $136,705 | n/a | n/a | 81 |
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| 7 | Materials Engineering | Doctoral | $136,057 | n/a | n/a | 76 |
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| 8 | Nursing | Doctoral | $133,687 | $71,350 | 53% | 195 |
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| 9 | Dentistry | Professional doctorate | $132,190 | $289,671 | 219% | 58 |
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| 10 | Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | Master's | $126,849 | $41,394 | 33% | 32 |
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| 11 | Systems Engineering | Master's | $123,458 | $32,139 | 26% | 72 |
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| 12 | Economics | Doctoral | $122,488 | n/a | n/a | 132 |
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| 13 | Aerospace engineering | Doctoral | $120,263 | n/a | n/a | 46 |
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| 14 | Agricultural Engineering | Master's | $118,852 | n/a | n/a | 27 |
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| 15 | Computer science | Master's | $118,338 | $34,500 | 29% | 276 |
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| 16 | Nursing | Professional doctorate | $117,090 | $82,294 | 70% | 314 |
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| 17 | Biomedical engineering | Doctoral | $114,810 | n/a | n/a | 124 |
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| 18 | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Master's | $112,888 | $20,500 | 18% | 28 |
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| 19 | Public administration | Doctoral | $112,828 | $102,059 | 90% | 41 |
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| 20 | Allied health (PA, radiography, therapy and more) | Master's | $112,674 | $123,104 | 109% | 408 |
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| 21 | Electrical engineering | Master's | $112,640 | $26,162 | 23% | 223 |
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| 22 | Computational Science | Master's | $111,772 | $37,772 | 34% | 44 |
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| 23 | Veterinary Medicine | Professional doctorate | $111,376 | $168,667 | 151% | 32 |
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| 24 | Computer engineering | Master's | $109,954 | $33,678 | 31% | 147 |
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| 25 | Pharmacy | Master's | $109,724 | $41,000 | 37% | 91 |
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| 26 | Data science | Master's | $107,873 | $38,994 | 36% | 94 |
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| 27 | Engineering-Related Fields | Master's | $107,833 | $29,334 | 27% | 152 |
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| 28 | Mechanical engineering | Doctoral | $107,798 | n/a | n/a | 154 |
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| 29 | Engineering, general | Master's | $107,628 | $31,098 | 29% | 110 |
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| 30 | Nursing | Master's | $107,455 | $45,400 | 42% | 625 |
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New federal loan limits for grad school
For students who start a program on or after July 1, 2026, Grad PLUS loans end for new borrowers and federal limits change: graduate students can borrow up to $20,500 a year ($100,000 in total) in Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and professional students (such as law and medicine) up to $50,000 a year ($200,000 in total). Students already enrolled with a Direct Loan before July 1, 2026 can keep the old limits for a time. Plan the gap between cost and these limits before you enroll. Estimate payments.
All graduate fields
AccountingAdvanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral SciencesAerospace engineeringAgribusinessAgricultural EngineeringAgricultural Production OperationsAgriculture, GeneralAir TransportationAllied health (PA, radiography, therapy and more)Animal scienceAnthropologyApplied StatisticsApplied mathematicsArchitectural Sciences and TechnologyArchitectureArea StudiesArt and design, generalArts managementAstronomyAtmospheric Sciences and MeteorologyBehavioral sciencesBible/Biblical StudiesBilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural EducationBiochemistry and molecular biologyBiological and Biomedical Sciences, OtherBiological and physical sciencesBiologyBiomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational BiologyBiomedical engineeringBiotechnologyBotany/Plant BiologyBusinessBusiness administrationBusiness analytics and operations researchBusiness, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, OtherCell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical SciencesChemical engineeringChemistryCity and regional planningCivil engineeringClassics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsClinical and counseling psychologyCognitive ScienceCommunicationCommunity Organization and AdvocacyComputational ScienceComputer Software and Media ApplicationsComputer and information sciencesComputer engineeringComputer scienceConstruction EngineeringConstruction ManagementCriminal justiceCriminologyCurriculum and InstructionDanceData analyticsData scienceDentistryDivinity and ministryEast Asian Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsEcology and evolutionary biologyEconomicsEducationEducation leadershipEducation, OtherEducational Assessment, Evaluation, and ResearchEducational/Instructional Media DesignElectrical and Computer EngineeringElectrical engineeringEngineering PhysicsEngineering ScienceEngineering, OtherEngineering, generalEngineering-Related FieldsEnglishEntrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsEnvironmental engineeringEnvironmental scienceEnvironmental/Natural Resources Management and PolicyEthnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group StudiesFamily and consumer sciencesFilm and photographyFinanceFine and studio artsFood Science and TechnologyFoods, Nutrition, and Related ServicesForestryGeneticsGeographyGeography and Environmental StudiesGeology and earth sciencesGermanic Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsGerontologyGraphic and industrial designHealth Professions Education, Ethics, and HumanitiesHealth Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, OtherHealth administrationHealth professions, generalHistoric Preservation and ConservationHistoryHomeland securityHospitality managementHuman Computer InteractionHuman development and family studiesHuman resourcesHuman servicesIT and network administrationIndustrial Production Technologies/TechniciansIndustrial engineeringInformation scienceIntelligence, Command Control and Information OperationsInterdisciplinary studies, otherInternational businessInternational relationsInternational/Globalization StudiesJournalismKinesiology and exercise scienceLandscape ArchitectureLawLegal Professions and Studies, OtherLegal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesLiberal arts and general studiesLibrary Science and AdministrationLinguisticsManagement information systemsManufacturing EngineeringMarketingMaterials EngineeringMaterials SciencesMathematicsMechanical engineeringMechatronics, Robotics, and Automation EngineeringMedical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical StudiesMedical Illustration and InformaticsMedical lab scienceMedicineMental health counselingMicrobiological Sciences and ImmunologyMiddle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsMissions/Missionary Studies and MissiologyMulti-/Interdisciplinary Studies, GeneralMuseology/Museum StudiesMusicNeuroscienceNuclear EngineeringNursingNutrition SciencesNutrition and dieteticsOperations ResearchParks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities ManagementPastoral ministryPeace and conflict studiesPetroleum EngineeringPharmacology and ToxicologyPharmacyPhilosophyPhysical and occupational therapyPhysicsPhysiologyPlant and soil sciencePolitical sciencePsychologyPsychology, OtherPublic Administration and Social Service Professions, OtherPublic Policy AnalysisPublic administrationPublic healthPublic relations and advertisingRadio, TV and digital mediaReal EstateReligious EducationReligious Music and WorshipReligious studiesResearch and experimental psychologyRhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesRomance languagesSchool counseling and student servicesSecurity Science and TechnologySlavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsSocial Sciences, GeneralSocial Sciences, OtherSocial and Philosophical Foundations of EducationSocial workSociologySoil SciencesSpecial educationSpeech-language pathologyStatisticsSustainability StudiesSystems EngineeringSystems Science and TheoryTaxationTeacher education by grade levelTeacher education by subjectTeaching English as a second languageTheaterTheology and Religious Vocations, OtherUrban Studies/AffairsVeterinary Biomedical and Clinical SciencesVeterinary MedicineWildlife managementZoology/Animal Biology Frequently asked questions
Is grad school worth it?
It depends on the field and the program. Compare what graduates of the exact program earn with what they borrow: a median debt below one year of starting pay is a common rule of thumb. The tables on each page show both.
How much can you borrow for grad school in 2026?
For new borrowers from July 1, 2026, Direct Unsubsidized Loans are capped at $20,500 a year ($100,000 total) for graduate students and $50,000 a year ($200,000 total) for professional students, and Grad PLUS is no longer available to them. The interest rate for graduate Unsubsidized loans first disbursed between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027 is 8.07%.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.
Loan figures: Federal Student Aid, loan limits FAQ (May 2026) and 2026-27 interest rates.
