WhatGradsMake
Master's+11% vs national median127 grads tracked

Physical Sciences at Appalachian State University

Ranked 32nd of 132 master's programs in Physical Sciences by 5-year earnings.

Median · 1 year out
$74,015
middle 50%: $57,156 – $87,694
Median · 5 years out
$91,987
middle 50%: $71,441 – $118,804
Median · 10 years out
$99,192
middle 50%: $82,142 – $130,533

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

Graduates of Appalachian State University's master's program in Physical Sciences earn a median $74,015 one year after graduating, rising to $99,192 by year ten. Five years out, earnings run 11% above the national median of $83,137 for this field, ranking 32nd of 132 reporting programs.

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
4.3 yrs
≈ $4,581 total interest

Same major at other universities

Southern Connecticut State University
$94,046 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts at Boston
$93,589 · 5 yrs out
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
University of Texas at Arlington
$91,706 · 5 yrs out
Texas State University
$91,603 · 5 yrs out
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
$90,933 · 5 yrs out
State University of New York at Oswego (SUNY Oswego)
$90,582 · 5 yrs out
West Virginia University
$89,527 · 5 yrs out
University of Oregon
$89,289 · 5 yrs out

Other majors at Appalachian State University

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$107,901 · 5 yrs out
Education (Doctorate)
$100,794 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$91,478 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$91,478 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$89,245 · 5 yrs out
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's)
$81,200 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)
$80,298 · 5 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)
$79,669 · 5 yrs out
Insurance (Bachelor's)
$76,492 · 5 yrs out
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's)
$74,662 · 5 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's)
$74,629 · 5 yrs out
Physics (Bachelor's)
$74,415 · 5 yrs out

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