Program Surprises on the Same Campus
Typical pay and debt vary sharply by major at the same Utah campus — graduate credentials dominate the top of the pay table.
Families often pick a campus first, then a major. Federal field-of-study data shows surprises within the same school: at the University of Utah, typical pay spans $74K to $154K depending on program and credential level.
- Assumption
- Once you choose a good school, any major there will pay similarly.
- Question
- How much do typical pay and debt vary among programs at the same Utah campuses?
- Evidence
- College Scorecard field-of-study · 2,245 programs
- Finding
- Graduate business, computing, and health credentials dominate top earners. Dentistry at University of Utah reports $154K pay with substantial debt when reported.
- Limits
- Small cohorts suppressed; blank debt is not zero borrowing.
| School | Field | Credential | Typical pay | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham Young University | Business Administration, Management | Master's Degree | $158K | $41K |
| Utah Valley University | Computer/Information Technology Adm | Master's Degree | $155K | — |
| University of Utah | Dentistry | First Professional Degree | $154K | $261K |
| University of Utah | Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, | Doctoral Degree | $150K | $128K |
| University of Utah | Business Administration, Management | Master's Degree | $145K | $41K |
| Western Governors University | Computer/Information Technology Adm | Master's Degree | $144K | $12K |
Dentistry and pharmacy at the University of Utah sit next to master's business programs with very different debt burdens — families should compare program rows, not the campus brochure.
What this means for you
- Ask for program-level typical pay and median debt — not institution averages.
- Best debt-to-pay among reported programs: Brigham Young University (8% of pay in debt).
- Pair with S-2 and family worksheet.
Updated 2026-06-29. Sources: College Scorecard field-of-study. Backlog F-9 · families.
Pathways & Outcomes original analysis; cite the report and link to the primary URL. Data vintage: College Scorecard field-of-study.
APA: Pathways and Outcomes. (2026). Program Surprises on the Same Campus. https://pathwaysandoutcomes.org/utah/research/program-surprises-same-campus/
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