Physics at University of Maryland-College Park

UMD's physics program shows puzzling numbers that don't match the school's strong reputation, but the small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates—makes this data unreliable. Among Maryland physics programs, this ranks in just the 25th percentile for earnings, trailing schools like Salisbury by nearly $15,000. The $39,825 first-year median is well below both the state average of $47,186 and national benchmark of $47,670. However, the 94% earnings jump by year four suggests many graduates pursue additional education or specialized training before entering their careers.

The $20,194 debt load is reasonable—lower than state and national medians—which means even the weak first-year earnings produce a manageable 0.51 debt-to-income ratio. But here's the problem: we're making decisions based on potentially fewer than 30 data points from a physics program that typically graduates many more students. This could represent a non-representative slice of graduates, perhaps those who went straight into teaching or graduate school rather than industry.

If your child is considering UMD physics, don't let this data alone drive the decision. The program's true outcomes likely differ significantly from these numbers. Look instead at where recent graduates actually end up—research labs, grad schools, tech companies—since the small sample makes these earnings figures almost meaningless for predicting your child's experience.