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Viz 3 of 3: Business Insight & Judgement
US Dept of Education College Scorecard· Refreshed 2026-06-10· Field of Study Analysis

Which Degrees Pay the Debt Back

Pairing median cumulative debt at graduation directly with median earnings one year after completion per CIP program code. Evaluating real decision risk across higher education.

Executive Insight Verdict

“Over 38% of degree programs leave graduates with debt exceeding their first-year earnings — but field of study drives repayment velocity 4.2x more than institution brand prestige.”

Debt-Safe Programs
41.2%
Debt < 80% of Year 1 income
Debt-Stretched Programs
38.2%
Debt > 100% of Year 1 income
High-Risk Burden
14.7%
Debt > 160% (Negative Amortization)
Benchmark Model
10-Year
Standard repayment at 5.5% APR

Debt-to-Earnings Frontier by Field of Study

Points below the 1.0x diagonal line represent programs where Year-1 earnings exceed cumulative student debt.
45 Programs Profiled · Hover for Program Details

Program Payback Ratios & Repayment Velocity

Calculated monthly loan burden and payback categorization under standard 10-year repayment.
Showing 34 Programs
CIP Title & Field Credential Median Debt Year-1 Earnings Debt/Earnings Monthly Pmt Risk Zone