Museology/Museum Studies: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 9 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Museology/Museum Studies pays
Career outlook for Museology/Museum Studies graduates
The job market for the occupations Museology/Museum Studies graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | 183,400 | +1.8% | $78,490 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Museum technicians and conservators | 15,700 | +5.4% | $47,460 | Bachelor's degree |
| Curators | 15,100 | +7.0% | $61,770 | Master's degree |
| Archivists | 9,300 | +3.8% | $61,570 | Master's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Museology/Museum Studies vs similar majors
How Museology/Museum Studies stacks up against the closest fields in Interdisciplinary Studies on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Museology/Museum Studies Interdisciplinary Studies · this major | Human Computer Interaction | Systems Science and Theory | Mathematics and Computer Science | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 16 F | 84 A | 90 A | 92 A |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $49,542 | $122,421 | $110,759 | $93,003 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $37,919 | $76,324 | $69,716 | $56,140 |
| ROI vs cost | -48% | +806% | +710% | +502% |
| Typical debt | $42,053 | $36,897 | $25,199 | $21,409 |
| Colleges offering it | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
Museology/Museum Studies earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Museology/Museum Studies
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Washington University Washington, DC | Certificate | $63,516 | $52,671 | +12% | Break-even |
| 2 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Certificate | $51,619 | $41,000 | -27% | Poor return |
| 3 | Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN | Certificate | $47,935 | — | -37% | Poor return |
| 4 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | Certificate | $52,769 | — | -50% | Poor return |
| 5 | Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ | Certificate | $46,449 | — | -89% | Poor return |
| 6 | SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY | Certificate | $44,522 | $35,599 | -105% | Poor return |
| 7 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | Certificate | $43,447 | $59,702 | -120% | Poor return |
| 8 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA | Certificate | $43,539 | $21,295 | -148% | Poor return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.