Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution graduates earn $63,114 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $44,720 and $84,295. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.
This page covers Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution 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 Interdisciplinary Studies and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution is a focused area of study within Interdisciplinary Studies. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $63,114 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 111 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 1,074 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$40,929
Median Earnings · 4yr
$63,114
Colleges Offering
111
Graduates / Year
1,074
Avg Net Price / yr
$27,674
How Much Do Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, a typical graduate earns $63,114, near the national median for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $44,720 and $84,295, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $40,929 at one year out to $63,114 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
$63,114
4-Year National Median
Near the national median for college graduates.
$68,770
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.
$44,72025th pct.
$63,114Median
$84,29575th pct.
A Solid Financial Return
Solid ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $63,114 and an estimated $110,696 four-year net cost, the typical graduate reaches earnings breakeven in roughly 3.3 years.
Based on outcomes from 68 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 1,074 students who complete Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution programs each year, the majority (51%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
51%40%
Bachelor's51%
Master's40%
Post-Bacc Cert.7%
What Can You Do With a Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution graduates show up in 1 different occupations, and Arbitrators & Mediators pay the most at $75,530/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Facilitate negotiation and conflict resolution through dialogue. Resolve conflicts outside of the court system by mutual consent of parties involved.
Prepare written opinions or decisions regarding cases.
Apply relevant laws, regulations, policies, or precedents to reach conclusions.
Conduct hearings to obtain information or evidence relative to disposition of claims.
Top Colleges for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
Not sure where to study Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution? 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 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Interdisciplinary Studies Programs
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution is not the only path through Interdisciplinary Studies: 38 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 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Degree: Pros & Cons
The data on Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution shows 2 measurable strengths and 1 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
PROS
Above-average earningsFour-year median of $63,114 puts graduates ahead of many humanities and social science programs.
Strong salary growthMedian earnings climb from $40,929 at graduation to $63,114 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
CONS
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.
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution graduates earn?
$63,114 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $44,720 and $84,295, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution degree?
$40,929 in the first year out. That grows to $63,114 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 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution degree?
Arbitrators & Mediators are one path, and it pays a median of $75,530 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 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution?
111 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 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution degree worth it?
$63,114 median earnings four years out against $27,674 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 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution and Interdisciplinary Studies?
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution is the narrower of the two: Interdisciplinary Studies covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution-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 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
Is graduate school worth it for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution graduates?
It can be. At a median salary of $63,114, graduate study in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution tends to meaningfully raise long-term income, particularly through specialized or professional programs tied to high-demand roles. Weigh that against your own career goals, the program's cost, and whether your target role actually rewards the advanced credential.
Related Interdisciplinary Studies Programs
Other programs in Interdisciplinary Studies. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Choose a Major Pillar
A decision framework for picking a college major using your interests, aptitudes, and federal earnings data to reach a defensible choice before applying.
Yes, most schools allow it, but the schedule math rarely works without either overlapping requirements or extra time. Here's when it actually fits in four years.
The real cost of a second major, when it pays back and when it doesn't, and why a focused single major with a relevant minor often beats a double major.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
All 38 Majors, Ranked by What Graduates Earn
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
Major earnings
Highest paying majors
Job growth
STEM
Field of study
Does Engineering Tech Out-Earn Engineering? The Data Says No
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Engineering tech
Engineering
Program earnings
Applied degree
Technician careers
STEM Is Not One Thing: The Pay Gap Within STEM
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
STEM earnings
Engineering pay
Computer science
Program earnings
Major choice
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
