Master's+5% vs national median203 grads tracked
Social Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Ranked 37th of 151 master's programs in Social Sciences by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$52,950
middle 50%: $32,639 – $72,856
Median · 5 years out
$80,113
middle 50%: $55,630 – $106,199
Median · 10 years out
$112,375
middle 50%: $88,826 – $159,795
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Social Sciences (master's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Social Science master's graduates earn $53k in their first year. The median salary reaches $112k by year 10.
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
5.3 yrs
≈ $6,088 total interest
Same major at other universities
University of North Carolina - Charlotte
$81,116 · 5 yrs out
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
$80,982 · 5 yrs out
Texas A&M University
$80,863 · 5 yrs out
Columbus State University
$80,758 · 5 yrs out
CUNY Graduate School & University Center
$80,614 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
$80,415 · 5 yrs out
University of Cincinnati
$80,030 · 5 yrs out
City College of New York - CUNY
$79,503 · 5 yrs out
University of Missouri - Kansas City
$78,889 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts - Lowell
$78,843 · 5 yrs out
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
$78,529 · 5 yrs out
Loyola University Chicago
$78,372 · 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