Economics: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 390 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$76,873 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.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
7.8 yrsModeled economic break-even
+29%Modeled 10-year ROI
$79,468Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$79,468Median reported earnings · year 4
$84,533Average reported earnings · year 5
$22,907Median federal debt
74thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
390Reporting programs
369With 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
- $101,310
- Federal debt
- $22,625
- Reporting programs
- 1
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $60,076
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $79,468
- Federal debt
- $22,907
- Reporting programs
- 390
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $104,085
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 22
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $97,632
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
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$69,792National median$79,46875th percentile$92,453
369 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Williams College$166,6782Duke University$161,1493Princeton University$160,7634University of Chicago$159,5785Harvard University$155,5926Dartmouth College$152,9297Claremont McKenna College$146,5248Carnegie Mellon University$144,8869Yale University$142,93610Amherst College$141,730Observed 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.
Economics Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1063 · 6 crosswalk linksEconomistsSOC 19-3011 · 6 crosswalk linksManagers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 6 crosswalk linksSocial Science Research AssistantsSOC 19-4061 · 4 crosswalk linksSurvey ResearchersSOC 19-3022 · 2 crosswalk linksData ScientistsSOC 15-2051 · 1 crosswalk linksMarket Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsSOC 13-1161 · 1 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 1 crosswalk linksStatisticiansSOC 15-2041 · 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 | Williams CollegeBachelor's Degree | Williamstown, MA | $166,678 | $12,925 | +385% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Duke UniversityBachelor's Degree | Durham, NC | $161,149 | $13,437 | +289% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Princeton UniversityBachelor's Degree | Princeton, NJ | $160,763 | $11,250 | +466% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | University of ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $159,578 | $13,197 | +379% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Harvard UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cambridge, MA | $155,592 | $6,617 | +332% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Dartmouth CollegeBachelor's Degree | Hanover, NH | $152,929 | $18,400 | +262% | Strong payoff |
| 7 | Claremont McKenna CollegeBachelor's Degree | Claremont, CA | $146,524 | $12,000 | +244% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $144,886 | $22,020 | +225% | Strong payoff |
| 9 | Yale UniversityBachelor's Degree | New Haven, CT | $142,936 | $13,250 | +256% | Strong payoff |
| 10 | Amherst CollegeBachelor's Degree | Amherst, MA | $141,730 | $16,662 | +254% | Strong payoff |
| 11 | Vanderbilt UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nashville, TN | $140,337 | $12,424 | +292% | Strong payoff |
| 12 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | $137,935 | $15,500 | +215% | Strong payoff |
| 13 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $137,710 | $25,000 | +248% | Strong payoff |
| 14 | University of California, BerkeleyBachelor's Degree | Berkeley, CA | $135,050 | $13,000 | +285% | Strong payoff |
| 15 | Hamilton CollegeBachelor's Degree | Clinton, NY | $130,633 | $18,250 | +189% | Strong payoff |
| 16 | University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $129,985 | $14,000 | +188% | Strong payoff |
| 17 | Rice UniversityBachelor's Degree | Houston, TX | $129,575 | $11,289 | +262% | Strong payoff |
| 18 | Colgate UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hamilton, NY | $128,887 | $17,500 | +184% | Strong payoff |
| 19 | Johns Hopkins UniversityBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $128,882 | $12,494 | +229% | Strong payoff |
| 20 | Swarthmore CollegeBachelor's Degree | Swarthmore, PA | $128,051 | $19,500 | +205% | Strong payoff |
| 21 | Northwestern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Evanston, IL | $126,006 | $16,227 | +173% | Strong payoff |
| 22 | Brown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $124,508 | $13,000 | +183% | Strong payoff |
| 23 | Tufts UniversityBachelor's Degree | Medford, MA | $123,809 | $17,850 | +132% | Strong payoff |
| 24 | Middlebury CollegeBachelor's Degree | Middlebury, VT | $123,477 | $19,500 | +157% | Strong payoff |
| 25 | Colorado CollegeBachelor's Degree | Colorado Springs, CO | $122,998 | $18,250 | +149% | Strong payoff |
| 26 | University of Notre DameBachelor's Degree | Notre Dame, IN | $122,637 | $19,965 | +170% | Strong payoff |
| 27 | Trinity CollegeBachelor's Degree | Hartford, CT | $122,068 | $21,500 | +141% | Strong payoff |
| 28 | Bowdoin CollegeBachelor's Degree | Brunswick, ME | $121,983 | $19,500 | +224% | Strong payoff |
| 29 | Wellesley CollegeBachelor's Degree | Wellesley, MA | $121,787 | $11,190 | +172% | Strong payoff |
| 30 | Boston CollegeBachelor's Degree | Chestnut Hill, MA | $121,337 | $18,000 | +120% | Strong payoff |
| 31 | Santa Clara UniversityBachelor's Degree | Santa Clara, CA | $121,307 | $19,500 | +101% | Strong payoff |
| 32 | Fairfield UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fairfield, CT | $120,303 | $26,500 | +102% | Strong payoff |
| 33 | Georgetown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $118,999 | $16,500 | +116% | Strong payoff |
| 34 | Marist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Poughkeepsie, NY | $118,557 | $26,000 | +112% | Strong payoff |
| 35 | College of the Holy CrossBachelor's Degree | Worcester, MA | $118,131 | $27,000 | +118% | Strong payoff |
| 36 | New York UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $116,510 | $21,250 | +118% | Strong payoff |
| 37 | Washington and Lee UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lexington, VA | $115,837 | $23,399 | +157% | Strong payoff |
| 38 | Case Western Reserve UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cleveland, OH | $114,601 | $25,949 | +102% | Strong payoff |
| 39 | Lafayette CollegeBachelor's Degree | Easton, PA | $112,864 | $19,500 | +114% | Strong payoff |
| 40 | Stanford UniversityBachelor's Degree | Stanford, CA | $112,700 | $12,500 | +188% | Strong payoff |
| 41 | Elon UniversityBachelor's Degree | Elon, NC | $112,303 | $19,500 | +94% | Positive payoff |
| 42 | Haverford CollegeBachelor's Degree | Haverford, PA | $112,050 | Not available | +138% | Strong payoff |
| 43 | Barnard CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $111,909 | $16,750 | +127% | Strong payoff |
| 44 | Hobart William Smith CollegesBachelor's Degree | Geneva, NY | $111,833 | $27,000 | +118% | Strong payoff |
| 45 | Emory UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $111,631 | $21,000 | +146% | Strong payoff |
| 46 | Bates CollegeBachelor's Degree | Lewiston, ME | $110,880 | $13,000 | +122% | Strong payoff |
| 47 | University of Virginia-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Charlottesville, VA | $110,773 | $19,000 | +147% | Strong payoff |
| 48 | Grinnell CollegeBachelor's Degree | Grinnell, IA | $110,724 | $16,950 | +162% | Strong payoff |
| 49 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $110,552 | $19,690 | +182% | Strong payoff |
| 50 | University of RochesterBachelor's Degree | Rochester, NY | $109,324 | $19,946 | +116% | Strong payoff |
| 51 | Bucknell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lewisburg, PA | $108,422 | $25,888 | +85% | Positive payoff |
| 52 | Connecticut CollegeBachelor's Degree | New London, CT | $107,283 | $25,206 | +92% | Positive payoff |
| 53 | William & MaryBachelor's Degree | Williamsburg, VA | $105,467 | $19,678 | +136% | Strong payoff |
| 54 | Pepperdine UniversityBachelor's Degree | Malibu, CA | $104,943 | $24,250 | +45% | Positive payoff |
| 55 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillBachelor's Degree | Chapel Hill, NC | $103,846 | $15,843 | +160% | Strong payoff |
| 56 | Kenyon CollegeBachelor's Degree | Gambier, OH | $103,791 | $18,718 | +76% | Positive payoff |
| 57 | Colby CollegeBachelor's Degree | Waterville, ME | $103,491 | $24,250 | +135% | Strong payoff |
| 58 | Occidental CollegeBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $103,164 | $25,590 | +75% | Positive payoff |
| 59 | Vassar CollegeBachelor's Degree | Poughkeepsie, NY | $102,584 | $19,000 | +71% | Positive payoff |
| 60 | Washington University in St LouisBachelor's Degree | St. Louis, MO | $102,439 | $14,110 | +115% | Strong payoff |
| 61 | Northeastern University OaklandBachelor's Degree | Oakland, CA | $101,423 | $24,500 | +101% | Strong payoff |
| 62 | Northeastern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $101,423 | $24,500 | +86% | Positive payoff |
| 63 | Northeastern University Professional ProgramsBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $101,423 | $24,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 64 | University of RichmondBachelor's Degree | University of Richmond, VA | $100,608 | $23,000 | +82% | Positive payoff |
| 65 | Villanova UniversityBachelor's Degree | Villanova, PA | $100,288 | $27,000 | +56% | Positive payoff |
| 66 | DePaul UniversityBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $100,185 | $22,433 | +82% | Positive payoff |
| 67 | Quinnipiac UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hamden, CT | $100,141 | $25,000 | +61% | Positive payoff |
| 68 | Union CollegeBachelor's Degree | Schenectady, NY | $99,783 | $27,000 | +72% | Positive payoff |
| 69 | Indiana University-BloomingtonBachelor's Degree | Bloomington, IN | $99,653 | $20,500 | +123% | Strong payoff |
| 70 | George Washington UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $99,406 | $23,250 | +67% | Positive payoff |
| 71 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $98,927 | $18,500 | +119% | Strong payoff |
| 72 | Wake Forest UniversityBachelor's Degree | Winston-Salem, NC | $98,209 | $20,927 | +80% | Positive payoff |
| 73 | University of California, Santa BarbaraBachelor's Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | $98,178 | $13,516 | +118% | Strong payoff |
| 74 | Drexel UniversityBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $98,178 | $29,000 | +59% | Positive payoff |
| 75 | Denison UniversityBachelor's Degree | Granville, OH | $97,394 | $24,102 | +54% | Positive payoff |
| 76 | Boston UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $96,723 | $24,500 | +86% | Positive payoff |
| 77 | Pomona CollegeBachelor's Degree | Claremont, CA | $96,702 | Not available | +101% | Strong payoff |
| 78 | St Lawrence UniversityBachelor's Degree | Canton, NY | $96,345 | $26,000 | +74% | Positive payoff |
| 79 | Brandeis UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waltham, MA | $95,872 | $25,295 | +58% | Positive payoff |
| 80 | Providence CollegeBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $95,590 | $26,000 | +35% | Positive payoff |
| 81 | University of California, Los AngelesBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $95,440 | $15,000 | +119% | Strong payoff |
| 82 | University of DelawareBachelor's Degree | Newark, DE | $95,318 | $25,261 | +100% | Strong payoff |
| 83 | Brigham Young UniversityBachelor's Degree | Provo, UT | $95,227 | $11,000 | +107% | Strong payoff |
| 84 | DePauw UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greencastle, IN | $94,761 | $26,978 | +85% | Positive payoff |
| 85 | University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $94,435 | $14,000 | +59% | Positive payoff |
| 86 | Gettysburg CollegeBachelor's Degree | Gettysburg, PA | $94,295 | $27,000 | +61% | Positive payoff |
| 87 | Fordham UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bronx, NY | $94,170 | $24,000 | +38% | Positive payoff |
| 88 | Lebanon Valley CollegeBachelor's Degree | Annville, PA | $93,878 | $27,000 | +70% | Positive payoff |
| 89 | Muhlenberg CollegeBachelor's Degree | Allentown, PA | $93,760 | $25,298 | +65% | Positive payoff |
| 90 | University of San FranciscoBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $93,712 | $21,500 | +41% | Positive payoff |
| 91 | University of MiamiBachelor's Degree | Coral Gables, FL | $92,998 | $17,500 | +46% | Positive payoff |
| 92 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $92,653 | $22,500 | +70% | Positive payoff |
| 93 | Reed CollegeBachelor's Degree | Portland, OR | $92,453 | $22,842 | +52% | Positive payoff |
| 94 | The College of New JerseyBachelor's Degree | Ewing, NJ | $92,325 | $23,500 | +63% | Positive payoff |
| 95 | The Catholic University of AmericaBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $91,962 | Not available | +57% | Positive payoff |
| 96 | Southern Methodist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Dallas, TX | $91,701 | $19,500 | +36% | Positive payoff |
| 97 | John Carroll UniversityBachelor's Degree | University Heights, OH | $91,386 | $27,000 | +57% | Positive payoff |
| 98 | Gustavus Adolphus CollegeBachelor's Degree | Saint Peter, MN | $91,252 | $24,474 | +70% | Positive payoff |
| 99 | Clark UniversityBachelor's Degree | Worcester, MA | $91,094 | $27,000 | +56% | Positive payoff |
| 100 | Drew UniversityBachelor's Degree | Madison, NJ | $90,814 | $26,914 | +65% | Positive 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.