Home›Majors›Dispute Resolution

MASTER'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 3028

Dispute Resolution: is this master's degree worth it?

National picture across 6 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$77,813 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.

$77,813Median year-4 earnings

$29,308Average 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

$77,813Median reported earnings · year 4

$84,869Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

50thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

6Reporting programs

6With 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: Not available
Federal debt: $21,250
Reporting programs: 1

0 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $77,813
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 6

6 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $66,910
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $95,860
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 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$73,611National median$77,81375th percentile$79,798

6 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Pepperdine University$110,166 2University of Southern California$94,256 3Creighton University$79,798 4Dominican University$75,828 5Columbia University in the City of New York$73,611 6University of North Carolina Wilmington$59,311

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.

Arbitrators, Mediators, and ConciliatorsSOC 23-1022 · 1 crosswalk linksBusiness Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1011 · 1 crosswalk linksLabor Relations SpecialistsSOC 13-1075 · 1 crosswalk linksLaw Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1112 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR DISPUTE RESOLUTION

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	Pepperdine UniversityMaster's Degree	Malibu, CA	$110,166	Not available	Baseline needed	$58,098
2	University of Southern CaliforniaMaster's Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$94,256	Not available	Baseline needed	$32,740
3	Creighton UniversityMaster's Degree	Omaha, NE	$79,798	Not available	Baseline needed	$31,568
4	Dominican UniversityMaster's Degree	River Forest, IL	$75,828	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,745
5	Columbia University in the City of New YorkMaster's Degree	New York, NY	$73,611	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,590
6	University of North Carolina WilmingtonMaster's Degree	Wilmington, NC	$59,311	Not available	Baseline needed	$20,109

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.