Utah Program ROI Snapshot
Which Utah majors report the highest typical pay, and how much federal loan debt graduates carry, by field of study.
Utah's highest reported typical pay reaches $158K (Master's Degree in Business Administration, Management and Operations at Brigham Young University) — yet only 3 bachelor's programs appear in the top twelve earners. School-wide averages hide gaps that large within the same campus.
This brief introduces a program-level lens: typical pay and federal loan debt by major and credential, not institution medians alone. A blank debt cell does not mean zero borrowing. For how many graduates a field produces relative to Utah jobs, see Credential–labor alignment.
- Typical pay is median earnings four years after finishing for employed graduates in that program (College Scorecard field-of-study data).
- Debt is median federal student loan debt for completers. When the main Scorecard field is suppressed—common for graduate programs—we use the evaluated-debt field when it is reported.
- Debt vs. pay divides debt by typical pay. Values under 15% mean borrowers owed relatively little compared with reported pay.
- Each table row is a specific major and credential level at one school, not a statewide average. Dentistry, pharmacy, and MBA programs can sit next to bachelor's rows.
- This brief covers 2,245 Utah program rows after correcting field-of-study codes so distinct majors (for example dentistry vs. communication sciences) are not merged.
- Assumption
- Choosing the right school matters most for pay and debt.
- Question
- How much do outcomes vary by program within Utah institutions?
- Evidence
- College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and federal loan debt · 2,245 Utah programs
- Finding
- The evidence suggests program and credential level matter substantially: graduate business, computing, and health credentials dominate top earnings, while debt-to-pay outcomes vary widely even when debt is reported.
- Limits
- Scorecard suppresses small cohorts; graduate debt often appears only in evaluated-debt (EVAL) fields, not ANY medians; missing debt is not proof of zero borrowing; typical pay covers employed graduates only.
- Graduate business, computing, and health credentials dominate the top of Utah's pay table; only 3 bachelor's programs appear in the top twelve.
- The highest reported typical pay is $158K (Master's Degree in Business Administration, Management and Operations at Brigham Young University).
- Among programs reporting both debt and earnings, Brigham Young University posts a debt-to-pay ratio of 8% for Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management.
- Strada estimates 65.0% of Utah credentials deliver positive ROI statewide vs. 70.0% nationally.
This brief highlights extremes, not every major.
Statewide ROI context
Strada's State Opportunity Index flags credentials where typical pay appears to exceed cost. Utah trails the national positive-ROI share slightly, even though many individual programs below report strong pay and manageable debt.
Source: Pathways & Outcomes analysis · Strada Education Foundation · 2025 State Opportunity Index
Utah's share trails the U.S. benchmark slightly. Strada defines positive ROI as typical earnings exceeding credential cost within a benchmark window; program tables below add major-level detail.
Key takeaway: Strada's statewide positive-ROI share (65.0% in Utah vs. 70.0% nationally) is a different question than which individual majors pay the most. Program tables show where pay and debt diverge within the same campus.
Technical note: Strada positive ROI is a statewide credential benchmark. Field-of-study tables use Scorecard median earnings four years after completion and federal loan debt when reported.
Highest typical pay
The spread within Utah matters more than which program ranks first. Master's degrees in business, computing, and health cluster at the top; professional degrees like dentistry can report high pay with high debt.
Source: Pathways & Outcomes analysis · College Scorecard field-of-study cohorts
Graduate and professional credentials report the highest medians; small cohort sizes apply to several rows.
| School | Field | Credential | Typical pay | Debt | Debt vs. pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham Young University | Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $158K | $41K | 26% |
| Utah Valley University | Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Master's Degree | $155K | N/A | N/A |
| University of Utah | Dentistry | First Professional Degree | $154K | $261K | 170% |
| University of Utah | Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | Doctoral Degree | $150K | $128K | 86% |
| University of Utah | Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $145K | $41K | 28% |
| Western Governors University | Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Master's Degree | $144K | $12K | 8% |
| Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Doctoral Degree | $143K | $104K | 73% |
| Brigham Young University | Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $143K | $12K | 8% |
| Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's Degree | $138K | $137K | 99% |
| University of Utah | Medical Illustration and Informatics | Master's Degree | $137K | N/A | N/A |
| University of Utah | Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $137K | $20K | 15% |
| Brigham Young University | Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $133K | $11K | 8% |
- Only 3 bachelor's programs appear in the top twelve — the pay leaderboard is dominated by graduate credentials.
- 10 of twelve top earners include debt after Scorecard field corrections; blank cells do not mean zero borrowing.
- The #1 row (Business Administration, Management and Operations at Brigham Young University) and #3 (dentistry at University of Utah) can sit next to each other with very different debt burdens — compare credential type, not just pay.
Debt vs. typical pay
This table lists programs where both debt and typical pay are reported—mostly bachelor's and associate credentials. Debt-to-pay divides median federal loans by typical earnings four years out. Values under 15% suggest borrowers owed relatively little compared with pay. Private loans and Parent PLUS are not included here.
Source: Pathways & Outcomes analysis · College Scorecard field-of-study cohorts
Lower share means less federal loan debt relative to typical earnings four years out.
| School | Field | Credential | Typical pay | Debt | Debt vs. pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham Young University | Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $119K | $9K | 8% |
| Western Governors University | Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Master's Degree | $144K | $12K | 8% |
| Brigham Young University | Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $133K | $11K | 8% |
| Brigham Young University | Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $143K | $12K | 8% |
| Brigham Young University | Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $97K | $9K | 9% |
| Brigham Young University | Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $130K | $12K | 9% |
| Brigham Young University | Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $113K | $10K | 9% |
| Western Governors University | Computer Software and Media Applications | Master's Degree | $130K | $13K | 10% |
| Western Governors University | Management Information Systems and Services | Master's Degree | $126K | $13K | 10% |
| Brigham Young University | Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $106K | $11K | 10% |
What this means for you
Find yourself below. Each bullet turns this report's evidence into a practical next step — not a prescription.
- Students Compare majors at schools you are considering — only 3 bachelor's programs appear in the top twelve earners.
- Families Compare specific majors and credential levels, not institution averages alone. Only 3 bachelor's programs appear in the top twelve earners; the rest are graduate or professional credentials.
- School counselors Use field-of-study tables alongside school profiles. Debt-to-pay ratios below 15% appear in select bachelor's and associate programs with both fields reported.
- Policymakers Strada's statewide positive-ROI share (65.0%) sits below the national rate despite strong individual programs.
Updated 2026-06-29. Sources: College Scorecard Most-Recent-Cohorts-Field-of-Study, IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024). Typical pay reflects employed graduates; debt covers federal loans for completers.
Pathways & Outcomes original analysis; cite the report and link to the primary URL. Data vintage: College Scorecard field-of-study · IPEDS completions 2023–24.
APA: Pathways and Outcomes. (2026). Utah Program ROI Snapshot. https://pathwaysandoutcomes.org/utah/research/utah-program-roi/
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