Report Highlights. Debt between majors varies greatly, at the Bachelor’s degree level there is a $34,000 difference between the most indebted major and the least indebted major.
- The major with the largest median debt for a Bachelor’s degree is Curriculum and Instruction at $44,125.
- The major with the smallest median debt for a Bachelor’s degree is International and Comparative Education at $10,000.
- The major with the largest median debt out of any other major is Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration at the Doctoral level: $271,378.
- The major with the smallest median debt out of any other major is Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering at the Associate’s level: $6,500.
Related reports include Average Medical School Debt | Average Law School Debt | Average Student Loan Debt | Average Student Loan Debt by Year | Student Loan Debt Statistics
Associate’s Degree Debt by Major
The information below reports the median debt per major for Associate’s degrees. Interestingly, several Associate degree majors carry more student debt than Bachelor degree majors.
- The major with the largest amount of debt for an Associate’s degree is Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems at $35,750.
- The major with the least amount of debt for an Associate’s degree and out of any other major is Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering at $6,500.
- A major in Public Health has more debt at the Associate’s level than the Bachelor’s level: $26,464 vs $22,678.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences majors account for 1.9% of the country’s total student loan debt: the most out of any Associates’ major.
| College Major | 2021 Median Debt |
|---|---|
| Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems | $35,750 |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | $30,500 |
| Public Health | $26,464 |
| Music | $21,353 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $21,288 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $20,151 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $19,702 |
| Criminology | $19,409 |
| Data Processing | $19,133 |
| Computer & Information Sciences, General | $19,032 |
| Accounting | $18,928 |
| Human Services, General | $18,810 |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | $18,171 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $17,643 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $17,569 |
| Marketing | $17,499 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing | $16,559 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness | $15,567 |
| Computer Science | $15,337 |
| Civil Engineering Technologies/ Technicians | $15,250 |
| Hospitality Administration/ Management | $14,637 |
| Psychology, General | $14,060 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $14,013 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and Applied Psychology | $13,418 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $13,125 |
| Information Science/ Studies | $12,382 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $12,172 |
| Library and Archives Assisting | $12,049 |
| Animal Sciences | $12,000 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $11,540 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $11,373 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $10,929 |
| Social Sciences, General | $10,906 |
| Education, General | $10,806 |
| Engineering Science | $10,500 |
| Physical Sciences | $10,422 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | $10,300 |
| Political Science and Government | $10,284 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $10,000 |
| Agriculture, General | $9,765 |
| Biology, General | $9,599 |
| Natural Sciences | $9,467 |
| Biotechnology | $9,437 |
| Sociology | $8,944 |
| Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | $8,909 |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | $8,900 |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | $6,500 |
Bachelor’s Degree Debt by Major
The information below reports the median debt per major for Bachelor’s degrees. Business Administration as a Bachelor’s degree and as a Master’s degree accounts for a large majority of the country’s total student loan debt at 8%.
- The major with the largest amount of debt for a Bachelor’s degree is Curriculum and Instruction at $44,125.
- The major with the least amount of debt for a Bachelor’s degree is International and Comparative Education at $10,000.
- A major in Business Operations Support and Assistant Services, has less debt at the Bachelor’s level than at the Associate’s level: $16,200 vs $17,201.
- Business Administration as a major at the Bachelor’s level accounts for 3.7% of the country’s total student loan debt.
| College Major | 2021 Median Debt |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and Instruction | $44,125 |
| Behavioral Sciences | $39,890 |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | $37,178 |
| Religious Education | $31,582 |
| Physical Sciences | $27,365 |
| Education, General | $27,000 |
| Natural Sciences | $27,000 |
| Human Services, General | $26,986 |
| Architecture | $26,086 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | $25,717 |
| Music | $25,206 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $25,000 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | $25,000 |
| Drama/ Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $25,000 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $25,000 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $25,000 |
| Engineering, General | $24,999 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $24,859 |
| Biochemical Engineering | $24,709 |
| Information Science/Studies | $24,500 |
| Social Work | $24,356 |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | $24,233 |
| Civil Engineering | $24,035 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | $23,933 |
| Literature | $23,883 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering | $23,875 |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $23,821 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $23,632 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $23,250 |
| Health and Physical Education/ Fitness | $23,250 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $23,250 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $23,250 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | $23,250 |
| Journalism | $23,132 |
| Chemical Engineering | $23,106 |
| Chemistry | $23,096 |
| Accounting | $23,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $23,000 |
| Computer & Information Sciences, General | $22,941 |
| Biology | $22,891 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $22,752 |
| Psychology, General | $22,750 |
| Public Health | $22,678 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $22,500 |
| Marine Sciences | $22,414 |
| History | $22,215 |
| Social Sciences, General | $21,989 |
| Physics | $21,816 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing | $21,679 |
| Criminology | $21,500 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $21,500 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $21,500 |
| Mathematics | $21,500 |
| Political Science and Government | $21,500 |
| Sociology | $21,500 |
| Geography and Cartography | $21,432 |
| Anthropology | $21,271 |
| Science, Technology and Society | $21,210 |
| Botany/Plant Biology | $21,198 |
| Computer Science | $21,000 |
| Public Administration | $20,901 |
| Environmental Design | $20,784 |
| Archeology | $20,723 |
| Agricultural, General | $20,500 |
| Animal Sciences | $20,499 |
| Philosophy | $20,447 |
| City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning | $19,925 |
| Economics | $19,849 |
| International/Global Studies | $18,982 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | $18,723 |
| Cultural Studies/ Critical Theory and Analysis | $18,500 |
| Statistics | $17,558 |
| Cognitive Science | $17,052 |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | $16,200 |
| International and Comparative Education | $10,000 |
Master’s Degree Debt by Major
The information below reports the median debt per major for Master’s degrees. The majority of student debt in the nation is accrued with graduate degree students. Business Administration as a Bachelor’s degree and as a Master’s degree accounts for a large majority of the country’s total student loan debt at 8%.
- The major with the most amount of debt at the Master’s level is Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences at $138,857.
- The major with the least amount of debt at the Master’s level is International Agriculture at $15,317.
- Business Administration accounts for 4.3% of the country’s total student loan debt: the most out of any other Master’s degree major.
| College Major | 2021 Median Debt |
|---|---|
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | $138,857 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $61,188 |
| Social Sciences, General | $60,070 |
| Philosophy | $56,582 |
| Literature | $52,181 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | $51,489 |
| Statistics | $51,360 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $49,889 |
| Journalism | $49,311 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $45,006 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $41,640 |
| Economics | $41,551 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $41,323 |
| Architecture | $41,000 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $41,000 |
| Political Science and Government | $41,000 |
| Psychology, General | $41,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $40,855 |
| Public Administration | $40,621 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $40,603 |
| Computer & Information Sciences, General | $40,533 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $40,326 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | $40,252 |
| History | $39,753 |
| Computer Engineering | $38,967 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $38,882 |
| Computer Science | $37,477 |
| Sociology | $36,185 |
| Anthropology | $35,935 |
| Marketing | $35,762 |
| Biology, General | $35,199 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $34,742 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $34,676 |
| Criminology | $34,008 |
| International/Global Studies | $33,632 |
| Chemistry | $31,446 |
| Engineering, General | $30,663 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness | $30,217 |
| Education, General | $28,351 |
| Accounting | $28,341 |
| Civil Engineering | $27,931 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | $26,934 |
| Geography and Cartography | $24,969 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $23,302 |
| Agriculture, General | $21,360 |
| International Agriculture | $15,317 |
Doctoral Degree Debt by Major
The information below reports the median debt per major for Doctoral degrees. Doctoral degree debt is highly dependent on the major itself. There is a $250,000 gap between the most expensive Doctoral degree major and the cheapest Doctoral major.
- The major with the most amount of debt at the Doctoral level is Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration at $271,378.
- The major with the least amount of debt at the Doctoral level is Anthropology at $21,219.
- Anthropology as a Doctoral major is cheaper than a Master’s major: $21,219 vs $35,935.
- Juris Doctorate or Doctorates in Law account for 4.3% of the country’s total student loan debt: the most out of any of the professional, graduate majors.
| College Major | 2021 Median Debt |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $271,378 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $199,115 |
| Public Administration | $137,560 |
| Juris Doctorate, Doctorate in Law | $120,034 |
| Information Science/ Studies | $118,106 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | $114,372 |
| Computer & Information Sciences, General | $101,573 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $101,392 |
| Public Health | $79,842 |
| Education, General | $78,283 |
| Computer Science | $77,269 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $77,239 |
| Psychology, General | $73,830 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing | $68,120 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $62,757 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness | $51,816 |
| Anthropology | $21,219 |
Sources
- Brookings Institute Report: Dept. of Education’s College Scorecard shows where student loans pay off… and where they don’t
- Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce: The Economic Value of College Majors
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard
- The Hamilton Project – Major Decisions: Graduates’ Earnings Growth and Debt Repayment
- College Student Loan Debt: 2021- Texas Public Policy Foundation