BACHELOR'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 3026

Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis: is this bachelor's degree worth it?

National picture across 1 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$313,132 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.

Modeled economic break-even
−132%Modeled 10-year ROI
$37,350Observed 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

$37,350Median reported earnings · year 4
$51,589Average reported earnings · year 5
$21,125Median federal debt
2thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
1Reporting programs
1With year-4 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$37,350National median$37,35075th percentile$37,350
1 programs report year‑4 earnings.
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Northern Arizona University$37,350

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.

Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1062 · 1 crosswalk linksPostsecondary Teachers, All OtherSOC 25-1199 · 1 crosswalk linksSocial Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 19-3099 · 1 crosswalk links
BEST COLLEGES FOR CULTURAL STUDIES/CRITICAL THEORY AND ANALYSIS

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.

#CollegeLocationEarnings, year 4Federal debt10-year ROIVerdict
1Northern Arizona UniversityBachelor's DegreeFlagstaff, AZ$37,350$21,125-132%Negative payoff

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.