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UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Accounting and Related Services worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 114 college programs with reportable data.

Personal baseline needed

$44,880 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$44,880Median year-4 earnings
$13,500Average institution net-price context
$13,176Median federal debt
Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$44,880Typical earnings four years after completion
$36,872Average earnings five years after completion
$13,176Typical federal student debt
39thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
4,760Degrees awarded in 2024–25
112College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 89 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Accounting and Related Services

How much do Accounting and Related Services undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?

The national median is $44,880 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $13,176. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Accounting and Related Services?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $38,417 to $51,858 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Accounting and Related Services?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

CURRENT VIEW

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$44,880
Federal debt
$13,176
Programs in the comparison
114
112 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$49,138
Federal debt
$19,254
Programs in the comparison
250
244 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$72,457
Federal debt
$25,000
Programs in the comparison
856
835 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$94,664
Federal debt
$15,125
Programs in the comparison
4
4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$93,047
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
362
362 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings
$122,025
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$84,386
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
26
26 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$89,896
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$38,417National median$44,88075th percentile$51,858
112 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$51,85875th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$13,176Median federal debt across programs that report it
1Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

Austin Community College District

$90,270 four years after completionAustin, TX · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

Moraine Park Technical College

$8,811 among completer borrowersFond du Lac, WI · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Southern New Hampshire University

1,442 reported awards in 2024–25Manchester, NH · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

$87,526Observed year-4 earnings$48,275
$3,214Annual college-wide average net price$32,875
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Austin Community College District$90,2702Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College$87,5263Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$87,5264Pennsylvania State University-World Campus$87,5265Southern New Hampshire University$84,2566Champlain College$83,7197Northern Virginia Community College$69,0238Columbus State Community College$66,6179Bunker Hill Community College$60,69710Tidewater Community College$60,390

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Business Teachers, Postsecondary$99,080 median wage82,150 jobs nationwide+5.9% projected growth through 2035 · 7,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$47,180–$209,470 typical wage rangeAccountants and Auditors$83,680 median wage1,449,500 jobs nationwide+5.0% projected growth through 2035 · 115,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$56,020–$144,090 typical wage rangeFinancial Risk Specialists$117,330 median wage63,850 jobs nationwide+7.4% projected growth through 2035 · 4,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$64,820–$196,110 typical wage rangeAppraisers of Personal and Business PropertyUnreported jobs nationwideFinancial Managers$166,570 median wage841,710 jobs nationwide+9.7% projected growth through 2035 · 65,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$94,310–$323,270 typical wage rangeFinancial and Investment Analysts$102,740 median wage361,980 jobs nationwide+7.2% projected growth through 2035 · 24,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$63,720–$180,860 typical wage rangeFinancial Examiners$94,160 median wage67,830 jobs nationwide+9.3% projected growth through 2035 · 4,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$56,230–$174,200 typical wage rangeBudget Analysts$91,640 median wage47,160 jobs nationwide+1.9% projected growth through 2035 · 2,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$62,250–$136,660 typical wage rangeTax Preparers$54,920 median wage76,480 jobs nationwide+4.7% projected growth through 2035 · 9,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$33,760–$99,270 typical wage rangeCredit Analysts$83,510 median wage64,390 jobs nationwide-4.3% projected growth through 2035 · 3,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$56,250–$169,230 typical wage rangeBrokerage Clerks$65,750 median wage35,940 jobs nationwide-7.6% projected growth through 2035 · 3,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$50,260–$102,010 typical wage rangeTax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents$62,370 median wage56,610 jobs nationwide-1.0% projected growth through 2035 · 4,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$42,000–$114,550 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Business Administration, Management and Operations

Year-4 earnings
$49,328
Federal debt
$14,600
137 reporting programs →Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Business Operations Support and Assistant Services

Year-4 earnings
$32,277
Federal debt
$9,500
135 reporting programs →Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Business/Commerce, General

Year-4 earnings
$43,651
Federal debt
$14,094
26 reporting programs →Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Management Information Systems and Services

Year-4 earnings
$81,794
Federal debt
$27,000
23 reporting programs →
EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

WI13 programs$41,464 average earningsTX11 programs$43,708 average earningsCA10 programs$42,830 average earningsNC9 programs$43,336 average earningsNY7 programs$35,663 average earningsFL7 programs$44,606 average earningsIL6 programs$43,449 average earnings

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.