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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 4228

Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 3 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$169,093 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

—Modeled economic break-even

−124%Modeled 10-year ROI

$41,767Observed earnings · year 4

Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$41,767Median reported earnings · year 4

Not availableAverage reported earnings · year 5

$12,000Median federal debt

30thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

3Reporting programs

2With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

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: Not available
Federal debt: $13,500
Reporting programs: 1

0 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $41,767
Federal debt: $12,000
Reporting programs: 3

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $51,727
Federal debt: $27,000
Reporting programs: 77

66 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $72,081
Federal debt: $19,000
Reporting programs: 4

4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $65,278
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 335

335 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $100,222
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 97

97 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $66,437
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 4

4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $75,818
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 26

26 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $66,974
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 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$41,767National median$41,76775th percentile$41,767

2 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Florida Institute of Technology$41,767 2Montgomery County Community CollegeNot available

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

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Psychology Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1066 · 18 crosswalk linksManagers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 15 crosswalk linksPsychologists, All OtherSOC 19-3039 · 13 crosswalk linksClinical and Counseling PsychologistsSOC 19-3033 · 7 crosswalk linksSchool PsychologistsSOC 19-3034 · 2 crosswalk linksCoaches and ScoutsSOC 27-2022 · 1 crosswalk linksCounselors, All OtherSOC 21-1019 · 1 crosswalk linksEducational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and AdvisorsSOC 21-1012 · 1 crosswalk linksHuman Resources ManagersSOC 11-3121 · 1 crosswalk linksHuman Resources SpecialistsSOC 13-1071 · 1 crosswalk linksIndustrial-Organizational PsychologistsSOC 19-3032 · 1 crosswalk linksManagement AnalystsSOC 13-1111 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR CLINICAL, COUNSELING AND APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY

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	Florida Institute of TechnologyAssociate's Degree	Melbourne, FL	$41,767	Not available	-120%	Negative payoff
2	Montgomery County Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Blue Bell, PA	Not available	$12,000	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$11,124
3	Florida Institute of Technology-OnlineAssociate's Degree	,	$41,767	Not available	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.