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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1399

Education, Other: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 3 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$177,023 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

−143%Modeled 10-year ROI

$39,644Observed 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

$39,644Median reported earnings · year 4

$48,126Average reported earnings · year 5

$26,539Median federal debt

22thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

3Reporting programs

3With 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: $36,690
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $39,644
Federal debt: $26,539
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $48,653
Federal debt: $25,989
Reporting programs: 31

28 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $52,531
Federal debt: $19,625
Reporting programs: 2

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $65,153
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 33

33 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $94,581
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 8

8 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $90,767
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 4

4 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$27,732National median$39,64475th percentile$39,644

3 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital$83,524 2Liberty University$39,644 3Guam Community College$27,732

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.

Education Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1081 · 1 crosswalk linksTeachers and Instructors, All OtherSOC 25-3099 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR EDUCATION, OTHER

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	Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse HospitalAssociate's Degree	East Syracuse, NY	$83,524	$26,812	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	Not available
2	Liberty UniversityAssociate's Degree	Lynchburg, VA	$39,644	$26,266	-136%	Negative payoff
3	Guam Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Mangilao, GU	$27,732	Not available	-276%	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.