Insurance: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 22 reporting college programs.
+$184,990 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.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
Observed national outcomes
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.
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $84,838
- Federal debt
- $21,300
- Reporting programs
- 2
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $89,343
- Federal debt
- $22,729
- Reporting programs
- 22
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $126,052
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
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.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Wisconsin-Madison$105,9922St. John's University-New York$105,6883Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia$101,9304Georgia State University$101,0405University of Houston-Downtown$98,5106University of South Carolina-Columbia$96,5397University of Georgia$94,7298Illinois State University$94,1249Temple University$92,55510Florida State University$92,064Observed 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.
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 Wisconsin-MadisonBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | $105,992 | $20,500 | +145% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | St. John's University-New YorkBachelor's Degree | Queens, NY | $105,688 | $24,125 | +102% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Saint Joseph's University - PhiladelphiaBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $101,930 | $23,016 | +91% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | Georgia State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $101,040 | $26,000 | +130% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | University of Houston-DowntownBachelor's Degree | Houston, TX | $98,510 | Not available | +141% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | University of South Carolina-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, SC | $96,539 | $25,995 | +90% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | University of GeorgiaBachelor's Degree | Athens, GA | $94,729 | $22,394 | +111% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Illinois State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Normal, IL | $94,124 | $19,500 | +91% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | Temple UniversityBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $92,555 | $26,000 | +62% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | Florida State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Tallahassee, FL | $92,064 | $21,500 | +109% | Strong payoff |
| 11 | Butler UniversityBachelor's Degree | Indianapolis, IN | $89,343 | Not available | +37% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | Missouri State University-SpringfieldBachelor's Degree | Springfield, MO | $84,899 | Not available | +59% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | Appalachian State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boone, NC | $82,306 | $18,625 | +51% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | University of Cincinnati-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $81,489 | Not available | +29% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | University of HartfordBachelor's Degree | West Hartford, CT | $78,655 | Not available | +12% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | University of North TexasBachelor's Degree | Denton, TX | $75,438 | $21,204 | +25% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | University of Wisconsin-La CrosseBachelor's Degree | La Crosse, WI | $69,283 | $20,250 | -1% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | University of Louisiana at MonroeBachelor's Degree | Monroe, LA | $67,704 | $22,957 | -3% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Indiana State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Terre Haute, IN | $67,033 | Not available | -1% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | The University of OlivetBachelor's Degree | Olivet, MI | $62,740 | $24,710 | -33% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Ball State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Muncie, IN | $59,612 | $27,000 | -39% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | University of MississippiBachelor's Degree | University, MS | Not available | $22,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $13,314 |
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.