UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in American Sign Language worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 5 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$40,131 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.
$40,131Median year-4 earnings
$11,884Average institution net-price context
$17,000Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$40,131Typical earnings four years after completion
$34,952Average earnings five years after completion
$17,000Typical federal student debt
29thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
85Degrees awarded in 2024–25
5College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 4 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about American Sign Language
How much do American Sign Language undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $40,131 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 $17,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for American Sign Language?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $34,959 to $42,255 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to American Sign Language?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 4 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
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
- $40,131
- Federal debt
- $17,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,525
- Federal debt
- $25,131
- Programs in the comparison
- 7
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $45,475
- Federal debt
- $25,644
- Programs in the comparison
- 22
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $73,269
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
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$34,959National median$40,13175th percentile$42,255
5 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
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
Temple University
$66,762 four years after completionPhiladelphia, PA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtAustin Community College District
$8,999 among completer borrowersAustin, TX · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classTarrant County College District
61 reported awards in 2024–25Fort Worth, TX · 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.
$42,255Observed year-4 earnings$26,284
Temple University$28,198 price · $66,762 earningsSaint Louis Community College$8,440 price · $42,255 earningsAustin Community College District$6,390 price · $40,131 earningsPhoenix College$12,055 price · $34,959 earningsTarrant County College District$4,337 price · $26,284 earnings
$4,337Annual college-wide average net price$12,055
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
5 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 5 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Temple University$66,7622Saint Louis Community College$42,2553Austin Community College District$40,1314Phoenix College$34,9595Tarrant County College District$26,284Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
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
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Interpreters and Translators$60,170 median wage52,060 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 6,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$37,070–$103,660 typical wage rangeForeign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$79,350 median wage19,830 jobs nationwide+0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 1,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$49,060–$136,050 typical wage rangeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 median wage1,065,210 jobs nationwide-0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 63,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,780–$107,600 typical wage rangePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$77,640 median wage149,840 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$44,300–$160,700 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
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.