BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in American Sign Language worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 22 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$246,408 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
529.3 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−98%Estimated return after 10 years
$45,475Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$175,255
$8,000Annual price−$207,255
$16,000Annual price−$239,255
$18,000Current college-wide context−$247,255
$24,000Annual price−$271,255
$32,000Annual price−$303,255
$40,000Annual price−$335,255
Outcomes at a glance
$45,475Typical earnings four years after completion
$45,433Average earnings five years after completion
$25,644Typical federal student debt
11thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
20College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about American Sign Language
How much do American Sign Language bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $45,475 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $25,644. 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 $39,516 to $48,295 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.
OPEN PROFILE
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$39,516National median$45,47575th percentile$48,295
20 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
Gallaudet University
$70,859 four years after completionWashington, DC · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtUtah Valley University
$16,763 among completer borrowersOrem, UT · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classRochester Institute of Technology
32 reported awards in 2024–25Rochester, NY · 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.
$59,134Observed year-4 earnings$28,583
Gallaudet University$15,845 price · $70,859 earningsCommonwealth University of Pennsylvania$15,699 price · $59,134 earningsLamar University$9,366 price · $54,319 earningsMadonna University$17,755 price · $50,382 earningsWilliam Woods University$26,569 price · $49,889 earningsWestern Oregon University$17,237 price · $48,295 earningsLiberty University$29,357 price · $48,109 earningsIndiana University-Indianapolis$11,668 price · $47,003 earningsSt Catherine University$19,764 price · $45,973 earningsColumbia College Chicago$26,598 price · $45,619 earningsRochester Institute of Technology$34,906 price · $45,330 earningsSiena Heights University$17,124 price · $44,933 earningsKeuka College$24,338 price · $43,419 earningsKent State University at Kent$20,787 price · $42,488 earningsUniversity of North Florida$10,154 price · $39,944 earningsValdosta State University$10,945 price · $39,516 earningsUniversity of New Hampshire-Main Campus$23,805 price · $38,282 earningsUniversity of New Hampshire at Manchester$9,992 price · $38,282 earningsEastern Kentucky University$11,040 price · $36,755 earningsUtah Valley University$6,376 price · $28,583 earnings
$6,376Annual college-wide average net price$29,357
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
22 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 22 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Gallaudet University$70,8592Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania$59,1343Lamar University$54,3194Madonna University$50,3825William Woods University$49,8896Western Oregon University$48,2957Liberty University$48,1098Indiana University-Indianapolis$47,0039St Catherine University$45,97310Columbia College Chicago$45,619Observed 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.