Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 44 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$12,599 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.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
10.5 yrsModeled economic break-even
−5%Modeled 10-year ROI
$70,328Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$70,328Median reported earnings · year 4
$68,577Average reported earnings · year 5
$26,000Median federal debt
63thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
44Reporting programs
39With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $82,162
- Federal debt
- $24,950
- Reporting programs
- 3
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $53,347
- Federal debt
- $21,001
- Reporting programs
- 5
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $70,328
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Reporting programs
- 44
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $93,024
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 19
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $53,560
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 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$58,323National median$70,32875th percentile$77,773
39 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Bentley University$109,9222Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$104,2053University of Minnesota-Crookston$101,8284Wentworth Institute of Technology$101,5805Southern New Hampshire University$98,3996Worcester Polytechnic Institute$93,2987Elon University$88,9838New York University$87,6569Oklahoma Wesleyan University$86,51110SUNY Maritime College$85,603Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
NO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bentley UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waltham, MA | $109,922 | $26,000 | +96% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | University Park, PA | $104,205 | $24,028 | +90% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | University of Minnesota-CrookstonBachelor's Degree | Crookston, MN | $101,828 | $29,062 | +148% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $101,580 | $27,000 | +79% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | Southern New Hampshire UniversityBachelor's Degree | Manchester, NH | $98,399 | $15,697 | +63% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | Worcester Polytechnic InstituteBachelor's Degree | Worcester, MA | $93,298 | $26,500 | +37% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | Elon UniversityBachelor's Degree | Elon, NC | $88,983 | $19,500 | +27% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | New York UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $87,656 | $23,000 | +30% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | Oklahoma Wesleyan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bartlesville, OK | $86,511 | Not available | +41% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | SUNY Maritime CollegeBachelor's Degree | Throggs Neck, NY | $85,603 | $19,500 | +51% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | Loyola University ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $77,773 | $24,635 | +1% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | Southwestern CollegeBachelor's Degree | Winfield, KS | $77,689 | Not available | +9% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | California State University, Dominguez HillsBachelor's Degree | Carson, CA | $75,412 | $27,160 | +42% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | Widener UniversityBachelor's Degree | Chester, PA | $73,790 | $27,000 | +2% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | Missouri University of Science and TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Rolla, MO | $73,519 | $24,242 | +16% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $72,002 | $19,802 | +13% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $72,002 | $19,802 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 18 | Benedictine UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lisle, IL | $71,185 | $25,000 | -3% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Portland State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Portland, OR | $70,765 | $20,250 | +18% | Positive payoff |
| 20 | University of Southern MississippiBachelor's Degree | Hattiesburg, MS | $70,328 | Not available | -5% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Bowling Green State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Bowling Green, OH | $69,239 | Not available | -12% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Fort Hays State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hays, KS | $65,526 | $26,564 | -11% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | SUNY College of Technology at DelhiBachelor's Degree | Delhi, NY | $64,612 | Not available | -21% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Athens State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Athens, AL | $63,342 | $28,098 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 25 | University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterBachelor's Degree | Whitewater, WI | $60,386 | Not available | -35% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | University of Louisiana at LafayetteBachelor's Degree | Lafayette, LA | $60,104 | Not available | -35% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Brigham Young University-IdahoBachelor's Degree | Rexburg, ID | $60,102 | $16,933 | -29% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | University of Wisconsin-StoutBachelor's Degree | Menomonie, WI | $59,703 | $25,000 | -41% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | SUNY College of Technology at AlfredBachelor's Degree | Alfred, NY | $58,323 | $26,000 | -45% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Wilberforce UniversityBachelor's Degree | Wilberforce, OH | $52,144 | $35,674 | -65% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Saint Xavier UniversityBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $50,221 | $22,280 | -77% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | SUNY College of Technology at CantonBachelor's Degree | Canton, NY | $48,056 | Not available | -87% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Bethany CollegeBachelor's Degree | Lindsborg, KS | $47,895 | Not available | -90% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | Point Park UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $47,669 | $27,000 | -91% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | Philander Smith UniversityBachelor's Degree | Little Rock, AR | $44,330 | $49,638 | -103% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Southwest University at El PasoBachelor's Degree | El Paso, TX | $39,459 | $53,230 | -122% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | Claflin UniversityBachelor's Degree | Orangeburg, SC | $34,128 | $32,000 | -143% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Central Baptist CollegeBachelor's Degree | Conway, AR | Not available | $46,694 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $12,287 |
| 39 | Mercyhurst UniversityBachelor's Degree | Erie, PA | Not available | $25,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $19,444 |
| 40 | Susquehanna UniversityBachelor's Degree | Selinsgrove, PA | Not available | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $28,819 |
| 41 | South Georgia State CollegeBachelor's Degree | Douglas, GA | Not available | $20,333 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $8,767 |
| 42 | FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & MerchandisingBachelor's Degree | , | $64,446 | $29,167 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 43 | Notre Dame CollegeBachelor's Degree | , | $52,072 | $30,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 44 | Presentation CollegeBachelor's Degree | , | Not available | $24,041 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
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.