Master's+9% vs national median282 grads tracked
Physical Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Ranked 35th of 132 master's programs in Physical Sciences by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$62,818
middle 50%: $45,346 – $91,084
Median · 5 years out
$90,933
middle 50%: $66,224 – $124,238
Median · 10 years out
$124,051
middle 50%: $83,411 – $188,060
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Physical Sciences (master's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Master's degree holders in Physical Sciences start with a median salary of $63k. Earnings reach $91k after five years and $124k by year ten.
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
4.7 yrs
≈ $5,185 total interest
Same major at other universities
Texas A&M University
$93,541 · 5 yrs out
Texas Tech University
$92,216 · 5 yrs out
Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
$91,987 · 5 yrs out
Montana Technological University
$91,987 · 5 yrs out
Appalachian State University
$91,987 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at Arlington
$91,706 · 5 yrs out
Texas State University
$91,603 · 5 yrs out
West Virginia University
$89,527 · 5 yrs out
University of Oregon
$89,289 · 5 yrs out
City College of New York - CUNY
$89,177 · 5 yrs out
University of North Texas
$87,772 · 5 yrs out
University of Colorado Denver
$87,070 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Doctorate)
$226,077 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$206,093 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$177,207 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$176,681 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$173,815 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)
$164,239 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$159,201 · 5 yrs out
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)
$152,834 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$151,479 · 5 yrs out
Physical Sciences (Doctorate)
$126,011 · 5 yrs out
Legal Professions and Studies (Doctorate)
$125,106 · 5 yrs out
Law (Doctorate)
$125,106 · 5 yrs out