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 $42,822.
- The major with the smallest median debt for a Bachelor’s degree is Science Technologies/Technicians at $9,529.
- The major with the largest median debt out of any other major is Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at $287,817.
- The major with the smallest median debt out of any other major is Biological and Physical Sciences at $7,591.
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 $38,533.
- The major with the least amount of debt for an Associate’s degree out of any other major is Biological and Physical Sciences at $7,591.
- A major in Public Health has more debt at the Associate’s level than the Bachelor’s level: $27,135 vs $23,111.
- 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 | 2022 Median Debt |
|---|---|
| Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems | $38,533 |
| Public Health | $27,135 |
| Music | $22,649 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $22,541 |
| Data Processing | $22,194 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $21,460 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $21,175 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $20,400 |
| Criminology | $20,708 |
| Accounting | $20,045 |
| Human Services, General | $19,644 |
| Computer & Information Sciences, General | $19,834 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $18,436 |
| Hospitality Administration/ Management | $18,435 |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $18,083 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing | $17,510 |
| Civil Engineering Technologies/ Technicians | $17,357 |
| Marketing | $16,628 |
| Sociology | $16,430 |
| Computer Science | $14,574 |
| Engineering Science | $14,158 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness | $14,026 |
| Information Science/ Studies | $14,010 |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | $13,070 |
| Psychology, General | $12,217 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $12,705 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $12,705 |
| Animal Sciences | $12,705 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and Applied Psychology | $11,963 |
| Agriculture, General | $11,727 |
| Political Science and Government | $11,140 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $11,315 |
| Education, General | $11,035 |
| Social Sciences, General | $10,840 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $10,676 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | $10,600 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $10,492 |
| Biology, General | $10,299 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $10,272 |
| Biology, General | $10,300 |
| Natural Sciences | $9,880 |
| Physical Sciences | $9,816 |
| Science Technologies/Technicians, Other | $9,520 |
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 Behavior Sciences at $42,822.
- The major with the least amount of debt for a Bachelor’s degree is Science Technologies/Technicians at $9,529.
- A major in Business Operations Support and Assistant Services has less debt at the Bachelor’s level than at the Associate’s level: $19,147 vs $20,055.
- Business Administration as a major at the Bachelor’s level accounts for 3.7% of the country’s total student loan debt.
| College Major | 2022 Median Debt |
|---|---|
| Behavioral Sciences | $42,822 |
| Religious Education | $31,984 |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | $28,586 |
| Human Services, General | $28,586 |
| Education, General | $28,001 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and Applied Psychology | $27,439 |
| Literature | $26,987 |
| Natural Sciences | $26,912 |
| Physical Sciences | $26,635 |
| Music | $26,600 |
| Architecture | $26,468 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $26,468 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $26,468 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $25,952 |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | $25,925 |
| Drama/ Theater Arts and Stagecraft | $25,793 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | $25,634 |
| Engineering, General | $25,497 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | $25,438 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering | $25,233 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | $25,199 |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $25,152 |
| Biochemical Engineering | $25,083 |
| Information Science/Studies | $25,082 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $24,994 |
| Social Work | $24,863 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | $24,661 |
| Civil Engineering | $24,615 |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | $24,538 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $24,534 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $24,504 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $24,432 |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $24,351 |
| Health and Physical Education/ Fitness | $24,164 |
| Accounting | $24,086 |
| Computer & Information Sciences, General | $24,013 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $23,887 |
| Chemical Engineering | $23,821 |
| Biology | $23,747 |
| Journalism | $23,427 |
| Criminology | $23,411 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $23,326 |
| Psychology, General | $23,292 |
| Botany/Plant Biology | $23,292 |
| Public Health | $23,111 |
| Archeology | $23,028 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $22,820 |
| Social Sciences, General | $22,786 |
| Chemistry | $22,764 |
| History | $22,763 |
| Physics | $22,763 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $22,763 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing | $22,592 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $22,501 |
| Sociology | $22,292 |
| Computer Science | $22,283 |
| Marine Sciences | $22,158 |
| Political Science and Government | $22,045 |
| Science, Technology, and Society | $21,840 |
| Mathematics | $21,838 |
| Geography and Cartography | $21,704 |
| Anthropology | $21,704 |
| Animal Sciences | $21,639 |
| Environmental Design | $21,224 |
| Agricultural, General | $20,785 |
| Economics | $20,700 |
| Public Administration | $20,645 |
| Philosophy | $20,645 |
| Statistics | $20,645 |
| International/Global Studies | $19,895 |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | $19,147 |
| Cognitive Science | $18,131 |
| International and Comparative Education | $12,969 |
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 by 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 $158,155.
- The major with the least amount of debt at the Master’s level is International Agriculture at $13,664.
- 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 | 2022 Median Debt |
|---|---|
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | $158,155 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $63,830 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $55,554 |
| Social Sciences, General | $54,554 |
| Philosophy | $54,260 |
| Journalism | $53,213 |
| Statistics | $53,174 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and Applied Psychology | $51,888 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing | $51,420 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | $48,693 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $48,366 |
| Sociology | $46,871 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $44,598 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $44,301 |
| Political Science and Government | $43,853 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $43,408 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $43,408 |
| Psychology, General | $43,408 |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $43,251 |
| Economics | $43,053 |
| Literature | $42,826 |
| Computer Engineering | $42,647 |
| Public Administration | $42,154 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $41,238 |
| History | $40,948 |
| Computer & Information Sciences, General | $40,579 |
| Anthropology | $40,428 |
| Biology, General | $40,265 |
| Architecture | $39,788 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $39,270 |
| International/Global Studies | $37,180 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | $37,056 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $36,203 |
| Marketing | $35,738 |
| Criminology | $35,318 |
| Computer Science | $35,301 |
| Engineering, General | $33,235 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness | $32,372 |
| Agriculture, General | $30,676 |
| Geography and Cartography | $30,657 |
| Education, General | $29,434 |
| Chemistry | $28,912 |
| Accounting | $28,212 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $26,775 |
| Civil Engineering | $26,180 |
| International Agriculture | $23,275 |
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. The major with the most amount of debt at the Doctoral level is Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration at $310,330.
- The major with the least amount of debt at the Doctoral level is Area Studies at $29,644.
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professors as a Doctoral major is cheaper than a Master’s major: $43,408 vs $115,251.
- 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 | 2022 Median Debt |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $310,330 |
| Clinical, Counseling, and Applied Psychology | $174,623 |
| Public Administration | $146,194 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $133,942 |
| Juris Doctorate, Doctorate in Law | $128,289 |
| Computer & Information Sciences, General | $112,777 |
| Psychology, General | $112,529 |
| Public Health | $103,953 |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $85,038 |
| Education, General | $82,131 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $73,551 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing | $69,890 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness | $46,004 |
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: 2022- Texas Public Policy Foundation