The U.S. Department of Education has released information providing the median debt and earnings students graduate with depending both on the institution they attended and the program they graduated from at that school.
This is the first time the department has released program-specific data. Before, users who visited the College Scorecard were only able to see median debt and earnings for all alumni at a single university, regardless of their field of study, one year following their graduation date.
Now, students in the midst of their college decisions can compare program-specific outcomes between colleges. For instance, a student planning on entering nursing can learn which nursing graduates ended up with more median debt and earnings depending on which university they attended.
“Every student is unique,” said Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in a press release. “What they study, as well as when, where, and how they chose to pursue their education will impact their future. Students know this instinctively. That’s why we worked to deliver a product that is customizable and transparent—a tool that provides real information students need to make informed, personalized decisions about their education.