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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 5208

Finance and Financial Management Services: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 2 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$42,304 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.

15.9 yrsModeled economic break-even

−37%Modeled 10-year ROI

$52,208Observed 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

$52,208Median reported earnings · year 4

$39,173Average reported earnings · year 5

$17,374Median federal debt

59thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

2Reporting programs

2With 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: $61,520
Federal debt: $23,672
Reporting programs: 10

7 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $52,208
Federal debt: $17,374
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $77,504
Federal debt: $23,623
Reporting programs: 472

459 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: Not available
Federal debt: $21,937
Reporting programs: 1

0 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $109,137
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 72

72 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $152,667
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $129,454
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$47,420National median$52,20875th percentile$47,420

2 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Columbus State Community College$56,995 2Lake Area Technical College$47,420

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.

Business Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1011 · 6 crosswalk linksFinancial ManagersSOC 11-3031 · 6 crosswalk linksFinancial Risk SpecialistsSOC 13-2054 · 5 crosswalk linksFinancial and Investment AnalystsSOC 13-2051 · 5 crosswalk linksCredit AnalystsSOC 13-2041 · 3 crosswalk linksCredit CounselorsSOC 13-2071 · 3 crosswalk linksBudget AnalystsSOC 13-2031 · 2 crosswalk linksGeneral and Operations ManagersSOC 11-1021 · 2 crosswalk linksLoan OfficersSOC 13-2072 · 2 crosswalk linksPersonal Financial AdvisorsSOC 13-2052 · 2 crosswalk linksSecurities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales AgentsSOC 41-3031 · 2 crosswalk linksAppraisers of Personal and Business PropertySOC 13-2022 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR FINANCE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES

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	Columbus State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Columbus, OH	$56,995	Not available	+12%	Positive payoff
2	Lake Area Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree	Watertown, SD	$47,420	$17,374	-80%	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.