Outcomes-based program rankings.
Program outcomes at Emerson College vary significantly by field of study. These rankings evaluate each program by post-graduation earnings, debt burden, and return on investment — not prestige or reputation.
Use this analysis to compare programs and understand which fields deliver the strongest outcomes.
Analyzing 10 programs with available earnings data.
recent graduates
This bar shows the range of median earnings across all majors at this school.
The tables below compare programs in each category by earnings, rank, debt, and cohort size.
These sections represent the complete set of ranked undergraduate programs at Emerson College.
Marketing. leads business & economics with 77K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing. | — | $76,623 | $69,500 | 65 |
Program rankings are derived entirely from post-graduation outcomes. We do not use reputation surveys, selectivity metrics, or SAT scores. This means some programs may rank differently than you'd expect based on prestige — and that's intentional.
Median earnings 10 years post-enrollment
Debt burden relative to earnings
Institutional contribution to outcomes
Resources, cohort size, and graduation rates
Trajectory from early to mid-career
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services. leads health with 61K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services.Small sample | — | $61,496 | — | 10 |
Journalism. leads communications with 63K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journalism. | — | $63,337★ | $93,974 | 108 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. | — | $59,301 | — | 44 |
| Communication and Media Studies. | — | $59,202 | — | 37 |
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies. leads humanities & arts with 52K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies. | — | $51,742★ | $95,175 | 124 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts. | — | $49,951 | $80,000 | 359 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft. | — | $44,760 | $112,168 | 123 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. leads education with 36K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.Small sample | — | $35,600 | — | 11 |
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other. leads other & interdisciplinary with 49K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.Small sample | — | $49,381 | — | 19 |
Why rankings may differ by program: A university's nursing program and business program can have entirely different outcome profiles. Our methodology surfaces these differences so you can evaluate programs — not just institutions.
