Program directoryPROGRAM-CATEGORY PAYOFF

Chemistry doctoral degree outcomes at Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit · Federal field 4005

Data scope

Federal records group outcomes by college, four-digit field and credential level. A record may cover several catalog programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to the same-degree benchmark.

$848 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Debt pressure
Not available
Positive-payoff price ceiling
$133,085 / year
10-year scenario
Withheld by data safeguards
Price evidence
College-wide context only
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

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

+79%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$90,302$161,473
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
28Year-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
49Recent awardsIPEDS 2023–24 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.

94Students 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
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$59,600Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$116,234$56,634 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.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$29,167

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$116,234

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$29,167Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$91,250Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE7.7%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE95.1%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.

$90,302Year 1
$116,234Year 4
$161,473Year 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$9,686
Estimated loan paymentNot available
Not availableborrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$116,234 vs. $115,386

$848 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.
Natural Sciences Managers$159,670 median wageIL estimate · 2,810 jobs · 11-9121+8.2% projected U.S. growth · 9.2k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeChemistry Teachers, Postsecondary$97,860 median wageIL estimate · 880 jobs · 25-1052+2.3% projected U.S. growth · 1.7k openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeChemists$85,230 median wageIL estimate · 3,040 jobs · 19-2031+6.4% projected U.S. growth · 5.9k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeChemical Technicians$61,890 median wageIL estimate · 1,320 jobs · 19-4031+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 7.6k openings/yrTypical entry: Associate's degreeForensic Science Technicians$124,790 median wageIL estimate · 370 jobs · 19-4092+13.3% projected U.S. growth · 2.8k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeComputer and Information Research Scientists$136,540 median wageIL estimate · 630 jobs · 15-1221+21.8% projected U.S. growth · 2.9k openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeData Scientists$106,560 median wageIL estimate · 10,520 jobs · 15-2051+34.6% projected U.S. growth · 24.8k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEnvironmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary$104,440 median wageIL estimate · 170 jobs · 25-1053+2.7% projected U.S. growth · 0.6k openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeComputer Occupations, All Other$99,360 median wageIL estimate · 11,160 jobs · 15-1299+5.1% projected U.S. growth · 27k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePhysics Teachers, Postsecondary$94,900 median wageIL estimate · 540 jobs · 25-1054+2.4% projected U.S. growth · 1.1k openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeEnvironmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$81,590 median wageIL estimate · 1,550 jobs · 19-2041+6.1% projected U.S. growth · 7.3k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$79,990 median wageIL estimate · 44,670 jobs · 25-2031-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 63.5k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree
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.

Champaign, IL

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

$15,044 higher earnings · $14,812 lower annual net price

Earnings
$131,278
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$14,355
View outcomes →
Stanford, CA

Stanford University

$54,664 higher earnings · $15,360 lower annual net price

Earnings
$170,898
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$13,807
View outcomes →
Berkeley, CA

University of California, Berkeley

$52,162 higher earnings · $15,686 lower annual net price

Earnings
$168,396
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$13,481
View outcomes →
Bloomington, IN

Indiana University-Bloomington

$32,400 higher earnings · $12,903 lower annual net price

Earnings
$148,634
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$16,264
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

28 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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