Doctoral Degree/Starting Salaries by Academic Major

Graduate Admissions

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) – 2025

Academic MajorMean25th PercentileMedian75th PercentileResponses
AGRICULTURE$91,096$72,500$105,031$105,031183
Agricultural Business and Management$77,500$67,500$82,500$82,5006
Agricultural Production Operations$65,842$50,000$70,750$72,50010
Animal Sciences$74,440$69,868$74,500$92,37515
Food Science and Technology$70,976$54,500$68,667$84,88914
Plant Science$66,062$54,158$64,667$87,84521
Veterinary Medicine$105,288$105,031$105,031$105,031110
ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED SERVICES$84,667$75,600$75,600$75,6006
Architecture$75,600$75,600$75,600$75,6005
AREA, ETHNIC, CULTURAL, GENDER, AND GROUP STUDIES$80,083$62,000$87,583$91,6676
Area Studies$84,250$76,833$91,667$91,6674
BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES$78,341$56,500$69,447$99,848234
Biology$73,078$55,801$62,800$84,33381
Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology$80,575$57,000$90,000$100,00020
Botany$77,950$65,000$72,500$92,50010
Cell/Cellular Biology$60,393$46,056$46,056$60,00014
Microbiological Sciences$70,094$61,436$62,000$71,75013
Zoology/Animal Biology$69,875$58,500$73,000$75,5008
Genetics$104,840$83,200$105,000$141,0005
Physiology, Pathology, and Related Sciences$83,130$59,445$71,527$112,00026
Pharmacology and Toxicology$80,952$62,000$63,333$110,00013
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology$103,367$90,000$97,150$99,84814
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology$93,273$60,500$104,000$109,21013
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$77,867$57,500$74,850$96,0006
Biological Sciences, Other$76,453$68,894$68,894$74,87811
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES$136,270$87,065$118,294$205,857126
Accounting$84,680$63,000$77,000$122,5005
Actuarial Science$110,500$104,000$104,000$117,0008
Business, General$220,740$205,857$235,156$235,15635
Business Administration / Management$104,982$87,065$95,833$132,19664
Human Resources$107,035$18,294$118,294$118,2945
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Actuarial)$110,500$104,000$104,000$117,0008
COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS$77,068$63,000$66,875$92,00022
Communications and Media Studies$73,667$63,000$66,000$92,00018
COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES$143,131$124,000$152,875$167,500158
Computer and Information Sciences, General$142,518$118,125$153,714$155,90054
Computer Science$144,633$129,500$147,200$167,500100
EDUCATION$90,065$73,455$86,494$105,643486
Education, General$87,750$72,101$84,700$106,00054
Curriculum and Instruction$78,254$67,250$75,000$95,25037
Education Administration and Supervision$95,189$76,805$87,992$111,000265
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research$85,310$79,299$79,299$97,3339
Special Education and Teaching$97,636$71,000$74,000$143,0438
Student Counseling and Personnel Services$76,695$59,000$73,690$94,50022
Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods$79,592$78,000$79,410$82,83319
Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas$75,422$59,833$70,667$82,50029
ENGINEERING$112,491$93,352$115,956$131,000868
Engineering, General$103,326$79,400$113,250$120,00028
Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering$120,369$118,326$119,867$119,86739
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$107,161$85,333$121,429$129,63357
Chemical Engineering$118,994$89,900$120,167$126,33373
Civil Engineering$87,604$76,915$77,333$93,64179
Computer Engineering$131,877$109,717$149,211$149,21149
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$119,827$111,556$126,125$134,183100
Environmental/ Environmental Health Engineering$92,486$88,600$88,600$97,6677
Materials Engineering/Science$103,826$95,500$105,441$115,21171
Mechanical Engineering$111,759$99,000$101,875$119,497121
Nuclear Engineering$87,572$67,600$89,834$105,16714
Systems Engineering$119,875$78,750$106,875$161,0008
Industrial Engineering$98,798$83,550$88,000$125,66728
Operations Research$145,067$122,889$122,889$189,00015
Geological/Geophysical Engineering$98,022$98,300$98,300$101,0009
Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering$152,000$152,000$152,000$152,0004
Biological/Biosystems Engineering$63,039$58,693$67,385$67,3854
Electrical and Computer Engineering$124,863$126,817$126,817$126,8178
Engineering, Other$85,732$70,000$84,062$104,66714
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES$85,000$58,500$78,200$90,00015
Engineering-Related Fields$78,200$78,200$78,200$78,2005
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS$61,241$46,725$59,625$70,00041
English Language and Literature/Letters, General$56,634$46,725$55,650$61,00034
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies$83,614$77,550$77,550$77,5507
FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS$75,208$42,500$55,000$125,00011
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies$97,716$57,793$109,250$125,0006
Romance Languages$47,000$42,500$45,250$51,5004
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES/HUMAN SCIENCES$75,311$65,000$70,000$76,00015
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services$78,555$65,000$74,493$88,00012
HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS$93,206$72,282$80,123$99,8071251
Communication Disorders Sciences$83,922$74,079$75,206$83,00026
Dentistry$170,200$175,000$175,000$175,0005
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions$68,079$47,486$52,667$52,66712
Medicine$79,639$62,761$94,028$94,028148
Mental and Social Health Services$65,929$67,875$67,875$70,0007
Optometry$99,750$99,750$99,750$99,7504
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$79,915$72,218$75,300$85,286444
Public Health$84,868$69,200$87,833$93,52621
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions$75,916$73,991$76,643$79,000245
Veterinary Medicine$92,040$92,040$92,040$92,04031
Medical Illustration and Informatics$141,750$141,050$141,750$141,7504
Bioethics/Medical Ethics$132,889$112,800$112,800$158,0009
Registered Nursing$133,804$105,913$120,794$159,200290
HISTORY$69,929$59,000$66,706$76,50014
History$69,929$59,000$66,706$76,50014
HOMELAND SECURITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTING, AND RELATED PROTECTIVE SERVICES$86,700$78,250$78,250$120,00010
Criminal Justice and Corrections$76,000$51,000$78,250$78,2507
LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES$99,072$75,000$78,729$133,295211
Law$97,356$75,000$78,729$125,672180
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies$64,940$64,940$64,940$64,94011
Legal Professions and Studies, Other$133,295$133,295$133,295$133,29520
LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES, AND HUMANITIES$95,430$95,520$95,520$95,520122
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Humanities$95,430$95,520$95,520$95,520122
MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS$86,934$67,054$75,000$97,57783
Mathematics$73,802$65,843$68,000$89,27854
Applied Mathematics$96,860$87,700$91,725$95,75010
Statistics$119,035$97,577$115,000$140,00019
MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES$79,418$62,026$71,000$96,62138
Systems Science and Theory$110,231$96,621$102,811$123,8408
Nutrition Sciences$58,542$56,484$63,075$63,0755
Marine Science$67,750$64,500$67,750$71,0004
Earth Systems Science$62,026$62,026$62,026$62,0265
NATURAL RESOURCES$74,942$67,897$69,982$87,25037
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$72,948$67,897$69,982$78,00033
PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, AND FITNESS STUDIES$68,306$58,000$66,667$77,00018
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$77,000$77,000$77,000$77,0004
Health and Physical Education/Fitness$66,962$58,000$66,667$72,25013
PHYSICAL SCIENCES$88,518$70,000$88,375$99,500226
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology$91,500$60,000$75,000$139,5006
Chemistry$93,341$71,477$88,375$104,919102
Geological and Earth Sciences$75,615$62,000$82,000$90,00039
Physics$85,569$64,000$91,000$92,57162
Materials Science$96,278$72,250$97,500$117,5009
Physics and Astronomy$99,500$99,500$99,500$99,5005
PSYCHOLOGY$69,311$60,397$66,000$74,807177
Psychology$68,413$64,833$65,973$67,46846
Research and Experimental Psychology$77,696$66,500$82,119$88,40023
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology$67,908$60,397$64,143$71,017108
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS$92,054$78,833$84,833$96,50038
Public Administration$119,280$105,000$118,200$118,2005
Public Policy Analysis$84,210$77,192$83,000$86,66717
Social Work$91,880$78,833$78,833$108,31016
SOCIAL SCIENCES$93,246$69,500$86,136$118,66783
Anthropology$61,143$54,000$62,500$65,0007
Economics$120,118$91,084$125,000$143,98232
Geography$70,000$68,000$71,500$72,0004
Political Science and Government$71,872$65,078$75,000$86,41913
Sociology$79,144$69,500$80,000$83,81023
THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS$72,626$68,676$68,676$68,67614
Theological and Ministerial Studies$72,626$68,676$68,676$68,67614
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS$66,830$47,320$62,000$76,52119
Design and Applied Arts$85,789$76,521$76,521$98,1477
Fine and Studio Arts$65,733$53,000$57,500$78,4654
Music$50,790$46,667$46,994$54,0008

Contact Information

Office of Graduate Admissions

Young Hall, Room 170
155 S. Grant Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2114
Phone: (765) 494-2600
Fax: (765) 494-0136
Email: gradinfo@purdue.edu

Need help finding something? Contact us — we’re happy to assist!