This page covers Medicine as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Health and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Medicine is a focused area of study within Health. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $66,978 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 193 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 29,206 students complete it each year, most walking away with a certificate. Training is clinical and hands-on, often leading to licensure or certification.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$33,290
Median Earnings · 4yr
$66,978
Colleges Offering
193
Graduates / Year
29,206
Avg Net Price / yr
$23,159
How Much Do Medicine Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Medicine, a typical graduate earns $66,978, above the national median for college graduates. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $33,290 at one year out to $66,978 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
$66,978
4-Year National Median
Above the national median for college graduates.
$66,899
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 29,206 students who complete Medicine programs each year, the majority (100%) earn a certificate degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
100%
Certificate100%
What Can You Do With a Medicine Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Medicine graduates show up in 8 different occupations, and Cardiologist pays the most at $496,010/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Doctoral or professional degree500 openings/yr17K employed nationally
Day-to-day responsibilities
Diagnose, treat, manage, and prevent diseases or conditions of the cardiovascular system. May further subspecialize in interventional procedures (e.g., balloon angioplasty and stent placement), echocardiography, or electrophysiology.
Diagnose and treat diseases and injuries using medical imaging techniques, such as x rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and ultrasounds. May perform minimally invasive medical procedures and tests.
Prepare comprehensive interpretive reports of findings.
Perform or interpret the outcomes of diagnostic imaging procedures including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), nuclear cardiology treadmill studies, mammography, or ultrasound.
Document the performance, interpretation, or outcomes of all procedures performed.
Doctoral or professional degree900 openings/yr33K employed nationally
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSocial PerceptivenessSpeaking
Day-to-day responsibilities
Make immediate medical decisions and act to prevent death or further disability. Provide immediate recognition, evaluation, care, stabilization, and disposition of patients. May direct emergency medical staff in an emergency department.
Select, request, perform, or interpret diagnostic procedures, such as laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, emergency ultrasounds, and radiographs.
Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs and priority of treatment.
Diagnose diseases and conduct lab tests using organs, body tissues, and fluids. Includes medical examiners.
Examine microscopic samples to identify diseases or other abnormalities.
Diagnose diseases or study medical conditions, using techniques such as gross pathology, histology, cytology, cytopathology, clinical chemistry, immunology, flow cytometry, or molecular biology.
Write pathology reports summarizing analyses, results, and conclusions.
Doctoral or professional degree200 openings/yr9K employed nationally
Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningComplex Problem SolvingWriting
Day-to-day responsibilities
Diagnose and perform surgery to treat and help prevent disorders and diseases of the eye. May also provide vision services for treatment including glasses and contacts.
Perform comprehensive examinations of the visual system to determine the nature or extent of ocular disorders.
Diagnose or treat injuries, disorders, or diseases of the eye and eye structures including the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, or eyelids.
Provide or direct the provision of postoperative care.
Top Colleges for Medicine
Not sure where to study Medicine? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Medicine graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Health Programs
Medicine is not the only path through Health: 30 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Medicine program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
Strong earnings and positive career growth make Medicine a solid option. The 3 strengths and 2 trade-offs below are data-sourced from College Scorecard, BLS, and IPEDS.
PROS
Above-average earningsFour-year median of $66,978 puts graduates ahead of many humanities and social science programs.
Strong salary growthMedian earnings climb from $33,290 at graduation to $66,978 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Positive job outlookRelated careers project up to +6.8% job growth over the next 10 years, a solid signal for long-term demand.
CONS
Licensure often requiredMost roles in this field require state licensure or certification before you can practice. Budget time and costs for board exams alongside your degree.
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Medicine Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Medicine graduates earn?
$66,978 is the national median four years after finishing the program. The full spread above and below that figure has not been reported, so treat it as a midpoint rather than what any one graduate will earn. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Medicine degree?
$33,290 in the first year out. That grows to $66,978 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Medicine degree?
Cardiologist is one path, and it pays a median of $496,010 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Medicine program take?
One to two years of full-time study for most Medicine certificates, and some community colleges get you through in a single semester. That makes it one of the fastest ways into the field.
How many colleges offer Medicine?
193 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Medicine degree worth it?
$66,978 median earnings four years out against $23,159 a year in average net price. That is a reasonable payback window, best at lower-cost schools and in high-demand roles. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Medicine and Health?
Medicine is the narrower of the two: Health covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Medicine-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Medicine graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Medicine graduates consistently look for clinical judgment, patient communication, and evidence-based decision-making. Licensure, certifications, and supervised clinical hours are typically required or strongly preferred in most roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
Is graduate school worth it for Medicine graduates?
Often, yes. Advanced degrees in this field (nurse practitioner, physician assistant, doctor of physical therapy) typically come with significantly higher pay and a wider scope of practice, which is why most students in health fields eventually go back for one. Weigh that against your own career goals, the program's cost, and whether your target role actually rewards the advanced credential.
What is the job outlook for Medicine graduates?
Outlook is moderate overall: related occupations average +4.4% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Dermatologists are among the strongest-growth roles at +6.8%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
Related Health Programs
Other programs in Health. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
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