---
title: Is a Taxation degree worth the debt?
cip: 5216
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 Taxation degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Master's**, across **34** colleges (34 of 34 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $73,839 ($75,518 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $29,789 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.41× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $68,111–$82,194 — 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Master's | $73,839 | $29,789 | 0.41× | 34 | 34/34 |

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

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Villanova University (PA) | $124,137 | $43,076 |
| Northeastern University (MA) | $103,863 | — |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs (MA) | $103,863 | — |
| Northern Illinois University (IL) | $102,369 | — |
| DePaul University (IL) | $101,821 | $47,833 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (IL) | $96,057 | — |
| Golden Gate University (CA) | $93,862 | $41,000 |
| American University (DC) | $93,187 | — |
| Bentley University (MA) | $82,364 | — |
| University of Southern California (CA) | $81,685 | $50,834 |
| St. John's University-New York (NY) | $76,747 | $28,690 |
| California State University-Fullerton (CA) | $75,840 | — |
| Nova Southeastern University (FL) | $75,385 | $47,500 |
| Fordham University (NY) | $75,240 | $20,500 |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College (NY) | $75,064 | $16,806 |

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/taxation.jsonld` · `/education/fields/taxation.json`