Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies graduates earn a median $51,710 four years after finishing — $3,350/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 20.2 years. Federal data pools 443 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 5,327 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies ranks #154 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 24% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandeis University | MA | $73,256 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | $72,063 |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $67,291 |
| 4 | Yale University | CT | $65,213 |
| 5 | Wheaton College (Massachusetts) | MA | $64,701 |
| 6 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $64,152 |
| 7 | Sonoma State University | CA | $64,116 |
| 8 | American University | DC | $63,553 |
| 9 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | $63,426 |
| 10 | University of Delaware | DE | $61,443 |
| 11 | San Francisco State University | CA | $59,990 |
| 12 | Mount Holyoke College | MA | $59,843 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.