Social Sciences at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown

University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown's social sciences graduates start strong but face a puzzling earnings decline that demands explanation. The first-year salary of $43,431 beats both the national median ($37,459) and places this program at the 76th percentile nationally. However, by year four, earnings drop to $36,020—a 17% decline that's unusual enough to warrant serious investigation. With fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, these numbers might reflect quirks of the sample rather than a true program trend.

The debt picture is reasonable at $27,000, matching both state and national medians, and the initial debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62 suggests manageable repayment in those early years. Among Pennsylvania social sciences programs, this ranks squarely in the middle of the pack at the 60th percentile. The real question is whether that earnings decline reflects graduates transitioning to different types of work, pursuing graduate education while working part-time, or something more concerning about career trajectory.

For parents, the small sample size is actually the key consideration here. These numbers could shift dramatically with more data. If your child is seriously considering this program, talk directly to the career services office about graduate outcomes and what happens to alumni between years one and four. The strong initial placement suggests solid employer connections, but you need to understand that earnings pattern before committing.