Master's · Evanston, Illinois

Is Sustainability Studies at Northwestern University worth it?

Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back fast: graduates typically recover the cost in about 1.7 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $142,363; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: Not enough graduates to report; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $74,250; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Typical borrowing (no graduate net price is published): $79k (likely $79k – $79k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $83k a year vs bachelor's graduates 4 years out in IL; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 1.7 years (likely 1.2–2.7); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: $571k (likely $260k – $925k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $1.45M (likely $823k – $2.20M); Today's dollars

Scorecard reports no net price for graduate programs; cost is based on what graduates typically borrowed.