How much do Public Policy Analysis master's degree graduates from University of Chicago earn?

The reported median is $112,727 four years after completion.

How much federal debt do graduates of this program have?

Federal debt is not reported for this cohort.

Is this program above or below similar programs?

Reported year-four earnings are 21% above the national median for the same field and degree level.

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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Public Policy Analysis master's degree at University of Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are notably above similar programs.

$19,707 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings: Not available
Highest price with a positive payoff: $293,635 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff: Withheld by data safeguards
Available price data: College-wide context only

OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+48%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$79,721 → $118,011

Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

43Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

103Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median

Not availableBorrowers representedCohort behind the debt median

Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential

Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential

NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

Not reportedStudents receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment

Not reportedFederal-aid completers2024–25 program completers

Not reportedPell Grant recipients2024–25 program count

Not reportedFederal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count

110Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion

Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$46,158Informational preview, not a final accountability result

Observed year-4 earnings$112,727$66,569 above the preliminary benchmark

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

GRADUATE-DEGREE BASELINE

$112,727 vs. $73,721

$39,006 above the national bachelor’s median in the same field.

Comparison basis34 bachelor’s program records

This is a cross-cohort benchmark, not the salary increase caused by earning this graduate credential. Your current earnings remain the correct baseline for personal ROI.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$14,860

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWINGNot available

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$112,727

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENTNot available

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$14,860Institution-wide annual figure

COST OF ATTENDANCE$90,360Institution-wide annual budget

ADMISSION RATE4.5%Institution context

COMPLETION RATE95.9%Institution-wide completion rate

WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$79,721Year 1

$112,727Year 4

$118,011Year 5

CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

Repayment pressure is not available

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$9,394

Estimated loan paymentNot available

Not availableborrowers represented where reported

HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$112,727 vs. $93,020

$19,707 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median

WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.

Social Science Research Assistants$64,890 median wageIL estimate · 250 jobs · 19-4061$47,720–$74,700 middle 50% of IL wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$100,700 median wageIL estimate · 460 jobs · 25-1065$76,770–$123,980 middle 50% of IL wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreePolitical Scientists$103,780 median wageIL estimate · 110 jobs · 19-3094$85,570–$117,590 middle 50% of IL wages-2.0% projected U.S. growth · 400 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeSocial Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$99,050 median wageIL estimate · 730 jobs · 19-3099$84,370–$107,600 middle 50% of IL wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 2,700 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeMedical and Health Services Managers$117,850 median wageIL estimate · 22,460 jobs · 11-9111$94,530–$164,440 middle 50% of IL wages+24.2% projected U.S. growth · 62,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeHealth Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$92,860 median wageIL estimate · 7,740 jobs · 25-1071$63,170–$132,950 middle 50% of IL wages+17.9% projected U.S. growth · 24,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeEducation Teachers, Postsecondary$61,560 median wageIL estimate · 3,930 jobs · 25-1081$47,140–$78,810 middle 50% of IL wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 5,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeLegislatorsNot available median wageU.S. estimate · Unreported jobs · 11-1031NO MATCHNot available median wageU.S. estimate · Unreported jobs · 99-9999

Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Princeton, NJ

Princeton University

$7,436 higher earnings · $8,732 lower annual net price

Earnings: $120,163
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $6,128

View outcomes →

Cambridge, MA

Harvard University

$17,251 higher earnings

Earnings: $129,978
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $19,066

View outcomes →

San Francisco, CA

University of California, San Francisco

$11,442 higher earnings

Earnings: $124,169
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: Not available

View outcomes →

Ann Arbor, MI

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

$1,722 lower annual net price

Earnings: $107,392
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $13,138

View outcomes →

Compare these programs →

DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

103 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

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