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MASTER'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 0109

Animal Sciences: is this master's degree worth it?

National picture across 4 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$82,704 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$82,704Median year-4 earnings

$18,206Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$82,704Median reported earnings · year 4

$102,699Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

57thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

4Reporting programs

4With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $27,324
Federal debt: $17,480
Reporting programs: 4

4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $42,663
Federal debt: $12,000
Reporting programs: 13

7 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $49,193
Federal debt: $22,250
Reporting programs: 83

79 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $82,704
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 4

4 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$69,841National median$82,70475th percentile$90,085

4 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Kansas State University$96,821 2University of Nebraska-Lincoln$90,085 3Texas A&M University-College Station$75,323 4University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$69,841

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Agricultural Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1041 · 8 crosswalk linksFarmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural ManagersSOC 11-9013 · 8 crosswalk linksAnimal ScientistsSOC 19-1011 · 7 crosswalk linksFarm and Home Management EducatorsSOC 25-9021 · 7 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry WorkersSOC 45-1011 · 5 crosswalk linksAgricultural TechniciansSOC 19-4012 · 3 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR ANIMAL SCIENCES

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Kansas State UniversityMaster's Degree	Manhattan, KS	$96,821	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,406
2	University of Nebraska-LincolnMaster's Degree	Lincoln, NE	$90,085	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,747
3	Texas A&M University-College StationMaster's Degree	College Station, TX	$75,323	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,315
4	University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignMaster's Degree	Champaign, IL	$69,841	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,355

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.