UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Education, General worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 2 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$58,162 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$58,162Median year-4 earnings
$12,531Average institution net-price context
$14,250Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$58,162Typical earnings four years after completion
Not availableAverage earnings five years after completion
$14,250Typical federal student debt
66thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
12Degrees awarded in 2024–25
2College 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 Education, General
How much do Education, General undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $58,162 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $14,250. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Education, General?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $48,863 to $48,863 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Education, General?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 3 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.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $58,162
- Federal debt
- $14,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $42,127
- Federal debt
- $11,025
- Programs in the comparison
- 34
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,250
- Federal debt
- $26,525
- Programs in the comparison
- 88
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $60,429
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $63,909
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 217
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $95,543
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 36
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $83,429
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $68,300
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 8
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $62,656
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 12
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$48,863National median$58,16275th percentile$48,863
2 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.
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
2 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 2 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Purdue University-Main Campus$67,4602Southern Utah University$48,863Observed 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.
Education Teachers, Postsecondary$75,350 median wage60,830 jobs nationwide+2.5% projected growth through 2035 · 5,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$39,530–$126,860 typical wage rangeTeaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special EducationUnreported jobs nationwideTeaching Assistants, Special EducationUnreported jobs nationwide
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.