Outcomes-based program rankings.
Program outcomes at Howard University 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 31 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 Howard University.
Chemical Engineering. leads engineering & technology with 85K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering. | — | $84,653★ | — | 21 |
| Mechanical Engineering. | — | $52,107 | — | 23 |
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
| Civil Engineering.Small sample | — | $50,856 | — | 14 |
Management Information Systems and Services. leads business & economics with 103K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management Information Systems and Services. | — | $103,478★ | — | 23 |
| International Business.Small sample | — | $100,344 | — | 19 |
| Accounting and Related Services.Small sample | — | $98,645 | — | 11 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | — | $88,875 | — | 24 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services. | — | $80,094 | — | 39 |
| Marketing. | — | $77,820 | $93,872 | 55 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other. | — | $47,260 | — | 22 |
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. leads health with 94K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | — | $94,136★ | $65,507 | 34 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.Small sample | — | $91,744 | — | 6 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services.Small sample | — | $68,877 | — | 12 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions.Small sample | — | $67,660 | — | 19 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. | — | $60,047 | — | 39 |
Biology, General. leads sciences & mathematics with 61K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, General. | — | $60,923 | $87,182 | 118 |
Political Science and Government. leads social sciences & policy with 66K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Science and Government. | — | $65,733★ | $84,462 | 121 |
| Economics.Small sample | — | $63,972 | — | 19 |
| Psychology, General. | — | $59,069 | $96,984 | 86 |
| Sociology.Small sample | — | $33,993 | — | 17 |
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. leads communications with 68K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. | — | $67,881★ | $92,113 | 80 |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other. | — | $59,909 | $86,382 | 116 |
English Language and Literature, General. leads humanities & arts with 74K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language and Literature, General.Small sample | — | $73,929★ | — | 14 |
| Fine and Studio Arts. | — | $54,696 | — | 22 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management. | — | $44,345 | — | 36 |
| Music.Small sample | — | $20,140 | — | 11 |
Criminal Justice and Corrections. leads criminal justice with 56K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice and Corrections. | — | $55,902 | $82,490 | 34 |
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. leads other & interdisciplinary with 61K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. | — | $61,316★ | $102,787 | 51 |
| Architecture.Small sample | — | $44,971 | — | 12 |
| Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other.Small sample | — | $26,896 | — | 19 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services.Small sample | — | $24,035 | — | 9 |
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.
