Bachelor's-7% vs national median585 grads tracked
Physical Sciences at University of Iowa
Ranked 228th of 321 bachelor's programs in Physical Sciences by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$39,010
middle 50%: $28,083 – $52,175
Median · 5 years out
$61,746
middle 50%: $42,070 – $82,062
Median · 10 years out
$83,065
middle 50%: $62,405 – $119,812
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Physical Sciences (bachelor's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Physical Sciences majors at the University of Iowa see first-year median earnings of $39k. Salaries climb to $62k at the five-year mark and $83k after a decade.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
6.9 yrs
≈ $8,217 total interest
Same major at other universities
University of Southern Indiana
$62,158 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
$62,132 · 5 yrs out
University of Missouri - Columbia
$62,129 · 5 yrs out
Old Dominion University
$62,119 · 5 yrs out
State University of New York at Oneonta
$62,075 · 5 yrs out
St. Cloud State University
$61,969 · 5 yrs out
Macalester College
$61,737 · 5 yrs out
Iowa State University of Science & Technology
$61,716 · 5 yrs out
Albany State University
$61,630 · 5 yrs out
Virginia State University
$61,630 · 5 yrs out
Texas Woman's University
$61,545 · 5 yrs out
University of South Carolina - Aiken
$61,498 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at University of Iowa
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$197,724 · 5 yrs out
Dentistry (Doctorate)
$173,339 · 5 yrs out
Medicine (Doctorate)
$167,710 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$157,015 · 5 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctorate)
$151,198 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$144,877 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Doctorate)
$143,232 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$121,670 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$114,999 · 5 yrs out
Legal Professions and Studies (Doctorate)
$112,327 · 5 yrs out
Law (Doctorate)
$112,327 · 5 yrs out
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)
$107,625 · 5 yrs out