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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 0904

Journalism: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 3 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$68,157 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.

29.5 yrsModeled economic break-even

−66%Modeled 10-year ROI

$48,497Observed 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

$48,497Median reported earnings · year 4

$34,651Average reported earnings · year 5

$8,250Median federal debt

50thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

3Reporting 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: $63,138
Federal debt: $20,500
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $48,497
Federal debt: $8,250
Reporting programs: 3

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $54,396
Federal debt: $24,250
Reporting programs: 196

189 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $72,760
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 22

22 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $63,479
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $58,146
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 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$45,638National median$48,49775th percentile$45,638

2 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Austin Community College District$51,356 2Onondaga Community College$45,638 3Oklahoma City Community CollegeNot available

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.

News Analysts, Reporters, and JournalistsSOC 27-3023 · 7 crosswalk linksCommunications Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1122 · 6 crosswalk linksEditorsSOC 27-3041 · 2 crosswalk linksWriters and AuthorsSOC 27-3043 · 2 crosswalk linksBroadcast Announcers and Radio Disc JockeysSOC 27-3011 · 1 crosswalk linksFilm and Video EditorsSOC 27-4032 · 1 crosswalk linksPhotographersSOC 27-4021 · 1 crosswalk linksProofreaders and Copy MarkersSOC 43-9081 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR JOURNALISM

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	Austin Community College DistrictAssociate's Degree	Austin, TX	$51,356	$8,007	-38%	Negative payoff
2	Onondaga Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Syracuse, NY	$45,638	$10,125	-94%	Negative payoff
3	Oklahoma City Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Oklahoma City, OK	Not available	$8,250	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$4,739

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.