Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems
Health Professions
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $31,224 | $26,994 to $35,081 | 6 | 17% |
| Master's Degree | $37,408 | $27,144 to $41,547 | 20 | 60% |
| Doctoral Degree | $45,097 | $38,718 to $49,244 | 5 | 80% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +6% (2025 to 2035), about 4,900 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other | $65,790 | +5.1% | 2,200 |
| Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other | $115,210 | +5.5% | 1,900 |
| Acupuncturists | $76,040 | +8.6% | 800 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a alternative and complementary medicine and medical systems program, of 86 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Pacific College of Health and Science
- American College of Healthcare Sciences
- Five Branches University
- Bastyr University
- Southwest Institute of Healing Arts
- Virginia University of Integrative Medicine
- Maharishi International University
- The University of Arizona Global Campus
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.