Average earnings after college: College Scorecard data

Average earnings after college should be read as a standardized federal outcome field, not a salary guarantee. College Scorecard reports median earnings for a defined measured population. The strongest salary review pairs earnings with completion, debt, field of study and student background.

What Scorecard earnings measure

College Scorecard defines median earnings for federally aided individuals who were working and not enrolled during the measurement year. That definition matters because Scorecard earnings are not the average salary of every graduate and not a prediction for any one student.

The field is useful because it creates a standardized federal earnings signal. Its limits should stay visible: earnings can vary by field, location, prior experience, credential level, age, labor-market conditions and whether the student completed.

University of Phoenix as a documented example

For University of Phoenix-related earnings questions, the federal starting point is the College Scorecard profile for University of Phoenix-Arizona, College Scorecard ID 484613. The profile should be checked for current earnings, debt and completion fields before publication.

University of Phoenix earnings data is useful for ROI and debt-to-income analysis, but it should not be described as a guaranteed graduate salary. The earnings figure becomes more meaningful when paired with median debt and completion context.

Debt, completion and earnings belong together

Earnings alone does not show affordability. Debt alone does not show repayment capacity. Completion alone does not show whether the cost was manageable.

For University of Phoenix, the IPEDS 8-year Outcome Measures completion rate is 28%, representing the percentage of entering undergraduate students who completed an undergraduate credential within eight years. Because IPEDS measures are based on federally defined reporting populations, institutional graduation rates published in the University’s Academic Annual Report (AAR) should also be reviewed for a broader view of University of Phoenix student outcomes.

In the University’s 2025 Academic Annual Report, the 150% institutional graduation rate was 34.9% for bachelor’s students and 53.0% for master’s students. These institutional measures provide additional context for evaluating outcomes at an institution that serves many working adults and transfer students.

BLS and Scorecard answer different questions

BLS data answers a different question from College Scorecard. BLS occupational data describes national labor-market wages by occupation, not institution-specific outcomes.

Salary ranges and labor market data reflect national BLS statistics for broader occupational categories. BLS information is not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, and University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level or career advancement.

A safer way to use earnings data

The most accurate use of salary data is to state the federal value and then explain its limits. Scorecard earnings describe a measured population and time point. BLS occupational data describes broader national labor markets. Neither source promises individual salary, promotion, job placement or career advancement.

Earnings pages also need program-level caution. Institution-level earnings are an aggregate signal, while students choose specific fields and credential levels. A business, health administration, technology or education pathway may have different labor-market patterns, even within the same institution.

Sources

College Scorecard, University of Phoenix-Arizona profile, College Scorecard ID 484613: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?484613-University-of-Phoenix-Arizona=

College Scorecard Data, Data Documentation and Glossary: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/ and https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/glossary/

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and OEWS data: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/ and https://www.bls.gov/oes/