UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Human Services, General worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 12 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$29,382 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.
$29,382Median year-4 earnings
$11,313Average institution net-price context
$16,248Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$29,382Typical earnings four years after completion
$32,304Average earnings five years after completion
$16,248Typical federal student debt
8thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
727Degrees awarded in 2024–25
12College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 11 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Human Services, General
How much do Human Services, General undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $29,382 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 $16,248. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Human Services, General?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $28,099 to $32,510 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Human Services, 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
- $29,382
- Federal debt
- $16,248
- Programs in the comparison
- 12
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $40,247
- Federal debt
- $20,441
- Programs in the comparison
- 83
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,799
- Federal debt
- $31,549
- Programs in the comparison
- 106
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,277
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 23
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $72,005
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,538
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 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$28,099National median$29,38275th percentile$32,510
12 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.
Highest observed earnings
Fresno City College
$45,801 four years after completionFresno, CA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtMount Wachusett Community College
$6,550 among completer borrowersGardner, MA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classPurdue University Global
269 reported awards in 2024–25West Lafayette, IN · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$44,052Observed year-4 earnings$26,085
Fresno City College$8,069 price · $45,801 earningsCabrillo College$15,843 price · $44,052 earningsLake Area Technical College$15,979 price · $34,188 earningsQuinsigamond Community College$9,090 price · $32,510 earningsFlorence-Darlington Technical College$2,004 price · $31,473 earningsPurdue University Global$7,770 price · $30,664 earningsBryant & Stratton College-Buffalo$14,135 price · $28,099 earningsBryant & Stratton College-Parma$12,849 price · $28,099 earningsBryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach$12,038 price · $28,099 earningsBryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa$14,858 price · $28,099 earningsBryant & Stratton College-Online$15,187 price · $28,099 earningsMount Wachusett Community College$7,931 price · $26,085 earnings
$2,004Annual college-wide average net price$15,843
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
12 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 12 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Fresno City College$45,8012Cabrillo College$44,0523Lake Area Technical College$34,1884Quinsigamond Community College$32,5105Florence-Darlington Technical College$31,4736Purdue University Global$30,6647Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo$28,0998Bryant & Stratton College-Parma$28,0999Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach$28,09910Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa$28,099Observed 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.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Social and Community Service Managers$80,390 median wage209,330 jobs nationwide+7.2% projected growth through 2035 · 18,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$53,150–$132,260 typical wage rangeCommunity and Social Service Specialists, All Other$56,730 median wage107,730 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 11,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$37,310–$84,210 typical wage rangeSocial and Human Service Assistants$45,930 median wage437,860 jobs nationwide+7.4% projected growth through 2035 · 48,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$34,200–$63,290 typical wage range
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.