OBSERVED EARNINGS · LIKE-FOR-LIKE CATEGORIESHighest-paying majors
National median earnings four years after completion, keeping field and credential level visible.
Law & Public Service37 ranked field-and-credential categories with at least 10 earnings observations
1Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesMaster's Degree · 43 programs$107,5402LawDoctoral Degree · 26 programs$100,3833LawFirst Professional Degree · 176 programs$97,8544Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, OtherMaster's Degree · 10 programs$97,3625Homeland SecurityMaster's Degree · 28 programs$93,6866Public Policy AnalysisMaster's Degree · 50 programs$89,1117Fire ProtectionBachelor's Degree · 21 programs$87,4288Security Science and TechnologyMaster's Degree · 35 programs$86,3449Legal Professions and Studies, OtherMaster's Degree · 11 programs$81,72210Public AdministrationMaster's Degree · 244 programs$77,32911Fire ProtectionAssociate's Degree · 27 programs$73,37512Public Policy AnalysisBachelor's Degree · 40 programs$69,65613Homeland SecurityBachelor's Degree · 37 programs$67,95314Public Administration and Social Service Professions, OtherBachelor's Degree · 11 programs$67,09915Public AdministrationBachelor's Degree · 52 programs$64,95316Criminal Justice and CorrectionsMaster's Degree · 119 programs$64,86017Community Organization and AdvocacyMaster's Degree · 10 programs$63,83918Non-Professional Legal StudiesBachelor's Degree · 43 programs$63,48719Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, OtherBachelor's Degree · 15 programs$63,16220Social WorkMaster's Degree · 283 programs$62,61121Fire ProtectionUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 38 programs$61,73722Security Science and TechnologyBachelor's Degree · 49 programs$57,44723Human Services, GeneralMaster's Degree · 23 programs$57,27724Legal Professions and Studies, OtherBachelor's Degree · 13 programs$57,24925Criminal Justice and CorrectionsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 187 programs$56,07026Legal Support ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 54 programs$55,89927Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's Degree · 724 programs$54,22828Legal Support ServicesBachelor's Degree · 35 programs$52,44429Social WorkBachelor's Degree · 463 programs$51,41030Community Organization and AdvocacyBachelor's Degree · 27 programs$51,06631Human Services, GeneralBachelor's Degree · 106 programs$48,79932Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's Degree · 480 programs$46,94033Legal Support ServicesAssociate's Degree · 121 programs$45,71434Community Organization and AdvocacyAssociate's Degree · 12 programs$42,55235Social WorkAssociate's Degree · 41 programs$40,76136Human Services, GeneralAssociate's Degree · 83 programs$40,24737Human Services, GeneralUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 12 programs$29,382Field families are reproducible groupings of federal two-digit CIP subject codes. Rankings require at least 10 programs with reported year-4 earnings; missing or suppressed values are not replaced with zero.