Home›Majors›Economics

DOCTORAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 4506

Economics: is this doctoral degree worth it?

National picture across 1 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$97,632 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.

$97,632Median year-4 earnings

$17,915Average 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

$97,632Median reported earnings · year 4

Not availableAverage reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

41thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

1Reporting programs

1With 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: $101,310
Federal debt: $22,625
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $60,076
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $79,468
Federal debt: $22,907
Reporting programs: 390

369 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $104,085
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 22

22 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $97,632
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$97,632National median$97,63275th percentile$97,632

1 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1George Mason University$97,632

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.

Economics Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1063 · 6 crosswalk linksEconomistsSOC 19-3011 · 6 crosswalk linksManagers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 6 crosswalk linksSocial Science Research AssistantsSOC 19-4061 · 4 crosswalk linksSurvey ResearchersSOC 19-3022 · 2 crosswalk linksData ScientistsSOC 15-2051 · 1 crosswalk linksMarket Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsSOC 13-1161 · 1 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 1 crosswalk linksStatisticiansSOC 15-2041 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR ECONOMICS

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	George Mason UniversityDoctoral Degree	Fairfax, VA	$97,632	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,915

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.