Education, Other: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 31 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$219,552 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.
70.1 yrsModeled economic break-even
−86%Modeled 10-year ROI
$48,653Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$48,653Median reported earnings · year 4
$48,640Average reported earnings · year 5
$25,989Median federal debt
17thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
31Reporting programs
28With 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
- $36,690
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $39,644
- Federal debt
- $26,539
- Reporting programs
- 3
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,653
- Federal debt
- $25,989
- Reporting programs
- 31
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,531
- Federal debt
- $19,625
- Reporting programs
- 2
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $65,153
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 33
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $94,581
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 8
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $90,767
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 4
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$43,653National median$48,65375th percentile$52,842
28 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Minnesota-Twin Cities$67,7952Gonzaga University$65,3813Endicott College$57,9464Mount Holyoke College$57,0515Towson University$56,9496University of Nevada-Reno$55,8927Boston University$54,8838Sonoma State University$52,8429Arizona State University Campus Immersion$51,78110Arizona State University Digital Immersion$51,781Observed 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.
Education Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1081 · 1 crosswalk linksTeachers and Instructors, All OtherSOC 25-3099 · 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 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $67,795 | $19,625 | -8% | Negative payoff |
| 2 | Gonzaga UniversityBachelor's Degree | Spokane, WA | $65,381 | Not available | -36% | Negative payoff |
| 3 | Endicott CollegeBachelor's Degree | Beverly, MA | $57,946 | $27,000 | -62% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | Mount Holyoke CollegeBachelor's Degree | South Hadley, MA | $57,051 | $19,000 | -58% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | Towson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Towson, MD | $56,949 | $13,945 | -52% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | University of Nevada-RenoBachelor's Degree | Reno, NV | $55,892 | Not available | -55% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Boston UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $54,883 | $27,000 | -64% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Sonoma State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Rohnert Park, CA | $52,842 | $17,305 | -66% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $51,781 | $25,367 | -72% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $51,781 | $25,367 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 11 | Eastern Oregon UniversityBachelor's Degree | La Grande, OR | $51,176 | $25,732 | -75% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | California State University, Channel IslandsBachelor's Degree | Camarillo, CA | $49,106 | $14,000 | -81% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Edgewood UniversityBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | $48,936 | Not available | -86% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Carroll UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waukesha, WI | $48,682 | Not available | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Roberts Wesleyan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Rochester, NY | $48,623 | $32,002 | -87% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | University of Minnesota-DuluthBachelor's Degree | Duluth, MN | $46,964 | $25,978 | -92% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Westminster CollegeBachelor's Degree | New Wilmington, PA | $46,735 | $27,000 | -93% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | St Petersburg CollegeBachelor's Degree | St. Petersburg, FL | $45,220 | $30,870 | -99% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Bowling Green State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Bowling Green, OH | $45,147 | $27,000 | -99% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | University of Central MissouriBachelor's Degree | Warrensburg, MO | $44,338 | $24,250 | -103% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and SciencesBachelor's Degree | Fayette, MO | $43,653 | Not available | -105% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended StudiesBachelor's Degree | Fayette, MO | $43,653 | Not available | -106% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Lee UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cleveland, TN | $42,329 | $28,375 | -110% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | California State Polytechnic University-PomonaBachelor's Degree | Pomona, CA | $42,160 | $12,200 | -113% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Albany State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Albany, GA | $41,282 | $31,000 | -116% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Lindenwood UniversityBachelor's Degree | Saint Charles, MO | $37,795 | $29,530 | -128% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Jackson State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Jackson, MS | $36,481 | $42,699 | -131% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | University of Puerto Rico-HumacaoBachelor's Degree | Humacao, PR | $28,399 | Not available | -172% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Athens State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Athens, AL | Not available | $26,250 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 30 | Campbell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Buies Creek, NC | Not available | $26,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $24,516 |
| 31 | Bob Jones UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greenville, SC | Not available | $19,268 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $16,641 |
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.