---
title: Is a Specialized Sales, Merchandising and  Marketing Operations degree worth the debt?
cip: 5219
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Specialized Sales, Merchandising and  Marketing Operations degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **50** colleges (50 of 50 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $35,690 ($35,420 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $25,625 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.69× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $31,359–$39,055 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Associate's | $26,451 | $14,626 | 0.48× | 9 | 9/9 |
| Bachelor's | $35,690 | $25,625 | 0.69× | 50 | 50/50 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Northwood University (MI) | $53,419 | $25,000 |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia (PA) | $51,025 | $26,250 |
| Marist University (NY) | $45,004 | $25,000 |
| Fashion Institute of Technology (NY) | $44,667 | $19,905 |
| Academy of Art University (CA) | $44,653 | — |
| Seattle Pacific University (WA) | $44,294 | $19,500 |
| Baylor University (TX) | $43,995 | $20,625 |
| Texas Christian University (TX) | $43,817 | $17,750 |
| LIM College (NY) | $41,027 | $24,429 |
| Texas Woman's University (TX) | $40,619 | $20,950 |
| University of North Texas (TX) | $40,106 | $21,250 |
| Mount Mary University (WI) | $39,282 | $21,500 |
| Ferris State University (MI) | $39,068 | $25,500 |
| Thomas Jefferson University (PA) | $39,017 | $25,750 |
| University of Georgia (GA) | $38,422 | $19,500 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/specialized-sales-merchandising-and-marketing-operations.jsonld` · `/education/fields/specialized-sales-merchandising-and-marketing-operations.json`