Marketing: is this master's degree worth it?
National picture across 42 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$78,491 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.
$78,491Median year-4 earnings
$24,743Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$78,491Median reported earnings · year 4
$95,157Average reported earnings · year 5
Not availableMedian federal debt
51thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
42Reporting programs
42With year-4 earnings
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
- $69,299
- Federal debt
- $22,060
- Reporting programs
- 11
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $45,620
- Federal debt
- $19,149
- Reporting programs
- 34
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $66,477
- Federal debt
- $24,382
- Reporting programs
- 551
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $131,018
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Reporting programs
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $78,491
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 42
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $89,219
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $96,856
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
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$65,799National median$78,49175th percentile$100,453
42 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Pennsylvania$255,3572University of Wisconsin-Madison$166,6683Vanderbilt University$140,4044Southern Methodist University$124,7305Xavier University$120,6266University of Georgia$112,1927Hofstra University$111,9648Texas A&M University-College Station$110,1549Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia$109,94810DePaul University$105,355Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Business Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1011 · 5 crosswalk linksMarket Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsSOC 13-1161 · 5 crosswalk linksMarketing ManagersSOC 11-2021 · 5 crosswalk linksAdvertising and Promotions ManagersSOC 11-2011 · 1 crosswalk linksFundraisersSOC 13-1131 · 1 crosswalk linksFundraising ManagersSOC 11-2033 · 1 crosswalk linksSales ManagersSOC 11-2022 · 1 crosswalk linksSurvey ResearchersSOC 19-3022 · 1 crosswalk linksWeb and Digital Interface DesignersSOC 15-1255 · 1 crosswalk links
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 | University of PennsylvaniaMaster's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $255,357 | Not available | Baseline needed | $28,699 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonMaster's Degree | Madison, WI | $166,668 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,354 |
| 3 | Vanderbilt UniversityMaster's Degree | Nashville, TN | $140,404 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,846 |
| 4 | Southern Methodist UniversityMaster's Degree | Dallas, TX | $124,730 | Not available | Baseline needed | $40,892 |
| 5 | Xavier UniversityMaster's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $120,626 | Not available | Baseline needed | $32,997 |
| 6 | University of GeorgiaMaster's Degree | Athens, GA | $112,192 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,936 |
| 7 | Hofstra UniversityMaster's Degree | Hempstead, NY | $111,964 | Not available | Baseline needed | $34,176 |
| 8 | Texas A&M University-College StationMaster's Degree | College Station, TX | $110,154 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,315 |
| 9 | Saint Joseph's University - PhiladelphiaMaster's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $109,948 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,689 |
| 10 | DePaul UniversityMaster's Degree | Chicago, IL | $105,355 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,902 |
| 11 | Boston UniversityMaster's Degree | Boston, MA | $103,316 | Not available | Baseline needed | $24,402 |
| 12 | Michigan State UniversityMaster's Degree | East Lansing, MI | $100,453 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,680 |
| 13 | The University of Texas at DallasMaster's Degree | Richardson, TX | $95,624 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,267 |
| 14 | University of DenverMaster's Degree | Denver, CO | $94,307 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,131 |
| 15 | Emerson CollegeMaster's Degree | Boston, MA | $93,412 | Not available | Baseline needed | $49,180 |
| 16 | East Texas A&M UniversityMaster's Degree | Commerce, TX | $91,404 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,841 |
| 17 | Walsh CollegeMaster's Degree | Troy, MI | $86,082 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 18 | Suffolk UniversityMaster's Degree | Boston, MA | $85,595 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,618 |
| 19 | La Salle UniversityMaster's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $82,256 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,409 |
| 20 | Capella UniversityMaster's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $81,837 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,956 |
| 21 | Georgia State UniversityMaster's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $80,194 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,931 |
| 22 | Bellevue UniversityMaster's Degree | Bellevue, NE | $76,788 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,550 |
| 23 | The University of AlabamaMaster's Degree | Tuscaloosa, AL | $76,736 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,420 |
| 24 | Southern New Hampshire UniversityMaster's Degree | Manchester, NH | $76,638 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,708 |
| 25 | Florida International UniversityMaster's Degree | Miami, FL | $76,368 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,288 |
| 26 | Franklin UniversityMaster's Degree | Columbus, OH | $76,257 | Not available | Baseline needed | $25,243 |
| 27 | Hult International Business SchoolMaster's Degree | Cambridge, MA | $74,163 | Not available | Baseline needed | $45,447 |
| 28 | University of Cincinnati-Main CampusMaster's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $74,046 | Not available | Baseline needed | $25,648 |
| 29 | Stony Brook UniversityMaster's Degree | Stony Brook, NY | $73,000 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,784 |
| 30 | Walden UniversityMaster's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $68,462 | Not available | Baseline needed | $33,817 |
| 31 | Molloy UniversityMaster's Degree | Rockville Centre, NY | $66,163 | Not available | Baseline needed | $24,347 |
| 32 | University of Phoenix-ArizonaMaster's Degree | Phoenix, AZ | $65,799 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,520 |
| 33 | LIM CollegeMaster's Degree | New York, NY | $65,451 | Not available | Baseline needed | $38,667 |
| 34 | Liberty UniversityMaster's Degree | Lynchburg, VA | $63,586 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,357 |
| 35 | Grand Canyon UniversityMaster's Degree | Phoenix, AZ | $61,699 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,472 |
| 36 | Full Sail UniversityMaster's Degree | Winter Park, FL | $59,772 | Not available | Baseline needed | $38,875 |
| 37 | Western Carolina UniversityMaster's Degree | Cullowhee, NC | $58,995 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,315 |
| 38 | Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey CampusMaster's Degree | San Juan, PR | $33,039 | Not available | Baseline needed | $7,646 |
| 39 | NUC UniversityMaster's Degree | Bayamon, PR | $30,548 | Not available | Baseline needed | $8,920 |
| 40 | University of Phoenix-CaliforniaMaster's Degree | , | $65,799 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 41 | University of Phoenix-NevadaMaster's Degree | , | $65,799 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 42 | University of Phoenix-TexasMaster's Degree | , | $65,799 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
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.