# Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Physics (bachelor's)

Cambridge, MA. IPEDS 166683, CIP 40.08. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/majors/physics

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $54,773
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $131,025 (U.S. median for this major: $78,569 across 107 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $18,500 (U.S. median $23,490)
- Rank in MA: 1 of 4 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the MA median for this major (4 colleges, $95,302): +$35,723
- Versus the U.S. median: +$52,456

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.16 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $131,025 minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $0 | $0 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $93 | $387 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $1,480 | $6,157 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $11,555 | $48,069 | under 1 year |
| 110k+ | $48,479 | $201,673 | 2.2 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Physics at MA colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $131,025 | $18,500 | $20,111 | 96% |
| College of the Holy Cross | $99,165 | not reported | $38,782 | 87% |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell | $91,438 | $22,177 | $17,163 | 65% |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst | $72,596 | $27,000 | $22,383 | 83% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $98,850 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, $95,260 MA, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Natural Sciences Managers (SOC 11-9121): median wage $291,000 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, $267,290 MA, $167,220 U.S.; U.S. jobs 8.2% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).