Bachelor's degree graduates in drama and theater borrowed a median of $22,243 in federal student loans and earned a median of $29,817 a year after graduating. Computer engineering graduates borrowed about the same, $20,803, but earned $82,767. That is the pattern across majors: typical debt varies within a fairly narrow band, while early earnings vary several-fold.
We compared 126 fields of study, each offered by at least 25 bachelor's programs with published debt and earnings figures. The median debt for a field ranged from $16,438 to $25,478. Median first-year earnings ranged from $28,336 in dance to $82,767 in computer engineering. Across all 20,808 bachelor's programs with both figures, the median program had debt of $21,000 and first-year earnings of $45,692.
Why debt looks so similar across majors
Federal loan limits cap how much a dependent undergraduate can borrow in Direct Loans, so many graduates in every field end up with similar balances. The Scorecard debt figure counts only federal Direct and Stafford loans taken out for study at that school. It does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed by parents, so the full cost of a degree can be higher than shown.
Debt and earnings by field of study
| Field of study (bachelor's degree) | Programs | Median debt | Median earnings, 1 year after | Median earnings, 4 years after | Debt as a share of first-year earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Communications | 51 | $25,000 | $28,397 | $42,579 | 88% |
| Dance | 36 | $23,500 | $28,336 | $41,842 | 83% |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 182 | $22,243 | $29,817 | $40,616 | 75% |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | 59 | $21,500 | $30,508 | $41,156 | 70% |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 321 | $21,386 | $31,141 | $41,705 | 69% |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 130 | $21,488 | $31,716 | $45,346 | 68% |
| Music | 179 | $22,498 | $34,546 | $43,726 | 65% |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 31 | $22,460 | $35,811 | $55,946 | 63% |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General | 26 | $23,234 | $37,952 | $46,278 | 61% |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 39 | $25,000 | $40,910 | $52,227 | 61% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 39 | $22,164 | $36,700 | $51,312 | 60% |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 49 | $20,500 | $33,979 | $44,201 | 60% |
| Design and Applied Arts | 243 | $23,979 | $39,920 | $53,927 | 60% |
| Human Services, General | 70 | $25,478 | $42,472 | $48,799 | 60% |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 53 | $20,500 | $34,226 | $51,559 | 60% |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 47 | $23,000 | $38,481 | $52,743 | 60% |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 71 | $20,885 | $35,359 | $47,616 | 59% |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | 31 | $20,250 | $34,499 | $45,445 | 59% |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 48 | $24,067 | $41,140 | $51,596 | 59% |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | 29 | $21,500 | $36,870 | $60,234 | 58% |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 111 | $19,250 | $33,256 | $59,277 | 58% |
| Anthropology | 110 | $19,603 | $34,039 | $45,815 | 58% |
| Psychology, General | 905 | $21,500 | $37,365 | $49,929 | 58% |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 504 | $21,500 | $37,408 | $53,531 | 57% |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 53 | $23,500 | $41,227 | $51,077 | 57% |
| Biology, General | 775 | $21,196 | $37,417 | $58,156 | 57% |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 32 | $22,812 | $40,786 | $66,550 | 56% |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 115 | $21,500 | $38,757 | $50,256 | 55% |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 64 | $19,720 | $36,093 | $59,415 | 55% |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | 36 | $21,812 | $40,300 | $51,733 | 54% |
| Security Science and Technology | 49 | $23,932 | $44,285 | $57,509 | 54% |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 54 | $18,562 | $34,402 | $51,171 | 54% |
| English Language and Literature, General | 389 | $19,599 | $36,426 | $49,101 | 54% |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 582 | $22,852 | $42,637 | $55,068 | 54% |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 154 | $20,502 | $38,454 | $46,897 | 53% |
| History | 310 | $19,866 | $37,742 | $51,217 | 53% |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 102 | $19,688 | $37,558 | $61,496 | 52% |
| Social Work | 304 | $21,500 | $41,426 | $51,290 | 52% |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 154 | $20,943 | $40,510 | $60,310 | 52% |
| Animal Sciences | 79 | $19,500 | $37,724 | $49,225 | 52% |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 372 | $21,500 | $42,105 | $52,460 | 51% |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 222 | $24,959 | $48,894 | $59,400 | 51% |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | 41 | $21,692 | $43,032 | $64,046 | 50% |
| Sociology | 318 | $20,475 | $40,760 | $52,428 | 50% |
| Special Education and Teaching | 122 | $23,345 | $46,554 | $51,258 | 50% |
| Public Health | 205 | $21,500 | $42,925 | $56,496 | 50% |
| Nutrition Sciences | 41 | $18,000 | $36,231 | $61,991 | 50% |
| Criminology | 112 | $20,906 | $42,184 | $55,418 | 50% |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 620 | $21,794 | $44,469 | $47,799 | 49% |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 32 | $21,375 | $44,106 | $64,522 | 48% |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 276 | $22,068 | $45,685 | $51,391 | 48% |
| Communication and Media Studies | 496 | $20,322 | $42,266 | $55,505 | 48% |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 99 | $18,562 | $38,728 | $55,460 | 48% |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 220 | $19,500 | $40,695 | $55,769 | 48% |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | 36 | $19,224 | $40,211 | $53,255 | 48% |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | 63 | $20,440 | $42,757 | $49,936 | 48% |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 66 | $19,250 | $40,324 | $53,319 | 48% |
| Journalism | 144 | $20,000 | $41,926 | $56,418 | 48% |
| Apparel and Textiles | 42 | $20,880 | $44,580 | $58,516 | 47% |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | 26 | $20,125 | $43,021 | n/a | 47% |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 100 | $19,018 | $41,220 | $56,213 | 46% |
| Architecture | 49 | $25,000 | $55,083 | $66,314 | 45% |
| Philosophy | 55 | $18,145 | $40,014 | $58,891 | 45% |
| Social Sciences, General | 48 | $20,214 | $44,796 | $56,142 | 45% |
| Education, General | 57 | $19,500 | $43,246 | $49,228 | 45% |
| Political Science and Government | 455 | $19,500 | $43,615 | $62,936 | 45% |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 108 | $19,395 | $44,047 | $65,778 | 44% |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 38 | $18,838 | $42,824 | $65,263 | 44% |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 34 | $24,750 | $56,848 | n/a | 44% |
| Agriculture, General | 31 | $19,207 | $44,432 | $52,676 | 43% |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 53 | $19,575 | $45,317 | $60,238 | 43% |
| Plant Sciences | 31 | $19,250 | $44,702 | $54,950 | 43% |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 135 | $20,549 | $47,775 | $64,101 | 43% |
| Geography and Cartography | 34 | $19,411 | $45,478 | $59,448 | 43% |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 1,080 | $22,016 | $51,810 | $65,263 | 42% |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 148 | $19,675 | $46,396 | $55,235 | 42% |
| Business/Commerce, General | 235 | $22,145 | $52,236 | $64,652 | 42% |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 89 | $19,500 | $46,550 | $57,221 | 42% |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 77 | $19,500 | $46,599 | $68,026 | 42% |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 48 | $20,864 | $49,904 | $64,478 | 42% |
| International/Globalization Studies | 49 | $17,609 | $42,324 | $59,806 | 42% |
| Homeland Security | 28 | $22,238 | $53,585 | n/a | 42% |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 30 | $17,670 | $43,430 | $67,906 | 41% |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 129 | $22,721 | $55,866 | $67,810 | 41% |
| Marketing | 448 | $20,500 | $51,352 | $67,390 | 40% |
| Chemistry | 141 | $19,500 | $48,918 | $66,246 | 40% |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 117 | $24,629 | $62,586 | $84,352 | 39% |
| Air Transportation | 57 | $21,250 | $54,109 | $85,147 | 39% |
| Area Studies | 30 | $16,603 | $43,075 | $58,232 | 39% |
| Public Policy Analysis | 32 | $19,000 | $49,358 | $69,118 | 38% |
| Public Administration | 25 | $18,750 | $50,191 | n/a | 37% |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | 29 | $24,072 | $65,000 | $73,884 | 37% |
| Physics | 49 | $19,140 | $53,403 | $78,216 | 36% |
| Accounting and Related Services | 545 | $21,124 | $59,097 | $74,103 | 36% |
| International Business | 56 | $20,202 | $56,686 | $74,320 | 36% |
| Mathematics | 175 | $19,250 | $54,422 | $72,524 | 35% |
| Information Science/Studies | 118 | $23,500 | $68,240 | $87,413 | 34% |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 47 | $19,949 | $59,333 | $81,255 | 34% |
| Engineering, General | 48 | $24,250 | $72,736 | $88,063 | 33% |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 393 | $20,000 | $60,242 | $78,021 | 33% |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | 49 | $23,399 | $70,885 | $82,821 | 33% |
| Applied Mathematics | 31 | $20,454 | $63,460 | $95,719 | 32% |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 132 | $22,581 | $70,122 | $75,032 | 32% |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | 33 | $20,886 | $65,593 | $79,309 | 32% |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 101 | $20,722 | $65,168 | $86,929 | 32% |
| Agricultural Business and Management | 56 | $16,438 | $51,918 | $65,961 | 32% |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 126 | $20,835 | $66,013 | $84,096 | 32% |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 33 | $21,250 | $68,424 | $82,005 | 31% |
| Economics | 255 | $18,750 | $60,469 | $83,258 | 31% |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 369 | $20,500 | $66,911 | $89,476 | 31% |
| Civil Engineering | 212 | $21,594 | $72,586 | $84,870 | 30% |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 110 | $20,812 | $70,876 | $94,168 | 29% |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 66 | $20,000 | $69,490 | $68,287 | 29% |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | 32 | $19,526 | $68,731 | $83,349 | 28% |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | 60 | $19,422 | $69,618 | $75,261 | 28% |
| Mechanical Engineering | 314 | $21,000 | $75,796 | $91,090 | 28% |
| Computer Science | 320 | $20,293 | $74,028 | $101,608 | 27% |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 60 | $21,500 | $78,794 | $96,300 | 27% |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 37 | $20,500 | $75,502 | $94,298 | 27% |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 969 | $21,875 | $80,708 | $86,383 | 27% |
| Chemical Engineering | 138 | $21,500 | $80,160 | $96,798 | 27% |
| Industrial Engineering | 72 | $20,824 | $78,480 | $98,266 | 27% |
| Construction Management | 50 | $19,562 | $74,618 | $93,156 | 26% |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 200 | $21,297 | $82,304 | $99,400 | 26% |
| Statistics | 43 | $17,500 | $68,279 | $89,210 | 26% |
| Computer Engineering | 151 | $20,803 | $82,767 | $107,163 | 25% |
Each figure is the median across programs in that field of each program's own median, our calculation; it is not weighted by the number of graduates. Fields are four-digit Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes. Four-year earnings are shown where at least 25 programs in the field had a published figure.
What the numbers measure
- Debt: the median federal loan debt of graduates who borrowed, for students who finished in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 award years.
- Earnings: median earnings of graduates who received federal aid, were working and were not enrolled in school, measured one year and four years after completing the degree, in inflation-adjusted dollars. Graduates with no earnings are left out, which tends to raise the figures.
- Coverage: the Education Department suppresses figures for small programs to protect privacy, so many programs, especially at smaller colleges, are not included.
Why it matters
A loan payment that is easy to manage on one salary can be hard on another. Under a rule the Education Department issued on June 29, 2026, college programs will be measured on whether their graduates out-earn a comparison group, with the first results due by July 1, 2027. Undergraduate programs will be compared with working adults ages 25 to 34 who have only a high school diploma, using earnings four years after completion. These figures are not the rule's official measures, but they show the same kind of comparison.
What you can do
- Look up a specific program at College Scorecard. Results differ a lot between schools in the same field.
- Compare the expected monthly payment with likely early earnings. A common rule of thumb is to keep total student debt below expected first-year pay.
- Use federal loans before private ones. Federal loans offer income-driven repayment and other protections that private loans usually do not.
Source
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study data (latest release, updated October 15, 2026), fields debt.staff_grad_plus.all.eval_inst.median and earnings.1_yr and 4_yr overall_median_earnings for bachelor's programs (credential level 3), retrieved through the Scorecard API on October 21, 2026. U.S. government data in the public domain. Our tables are available under CC BY 4.0. Credit "My Credit Guide (mycreditguide.org)".
Steven Reynolds, "Student Debt vs. Earnings by College Major," My Credit Guide, October 21, 2026, https://mycreditguide.org/data/student-debt-vs-earnings-by-major/.