Doctoral (Research)+8% vs national median363 grads tracked
Physical Sciences at University of Akron (The)
Ranked 11th of 82 doctoral (research) programs in Physical Sciences by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$75,898
middle 50%: $55,150 – $112,153
Median · 5 years out
$115,783
middle 50%: $82,251 – $144,686
Median · 10 years out
$143,917
middle 50%: $109,443 – $172,156
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Physical Sciences (doctoral (research)) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Physical Sciences research doctorates at the University of Akron earn a median of $76k in year one. Salaries reach $144k 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
3.8 yrs
≈ $4,197 total interest
Same major at other universities
University of Texas at Austin
$126,197 · 5 yrs out
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
$126,011 · 5 yrs out
Colorado School of Mines
$125,817 · 5 yrs out
University of Arizona (The)
$123,409 · 5 yrs out
University of Michigan
$117,848 · 5 yrs out
University of Connecticut
$115,982 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at Dallas
$115,698 · 5 yrs out
University of Utah
$114,494 · 5 yrs out
Pennsylvania State University (The)
$113,053 · 5 yrs out
Georgia Institute of Technology
$112,267 · 5 yrs out
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
$111,787 · 5 yrs out
Purdue University
$110,871 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at University of Akron (The)
Engineering (Doctorate)
$119,554 · 5 yrs out
Legal Professions and Studies (Master's)
$119,554 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$114,191 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Master's)
$105,772 · 5 yrs out
Psychology (Doctorate)
$103,152 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$102,091 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Master's)
$100,614 · 5 yrs out
Chemical Engineering (Certificate)
$97,031 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Certificate)
$96,791 · 5 yrs out
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)
$96,175 · 5 yrs out
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's)
$95,609 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$94,799 · 5 yrs out