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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 2299

Legal Professions and Studies, Other: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 2 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$153,092 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.

—Modeled economic break-even

−114%Modeled 10-year ROI

$43,168Observed 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

$43,168Median reported earnings · year 4

$55,278Average reported earnings · year 5

$29,518Median federal debt

35thYear-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: $54,579
Federal debt: $16,052
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $43,168
Federal debt: $29,518
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $57,249
Federal debt: $27,000
Reporting programs: 13

13 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $102,110
Federal debt: $18,614
Reporting programs: 2

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $81,722
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 11

11 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $96,688
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $129,281
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 2

2 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$35,544National median$43,16875th percentile$35,544

2 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of the District of Columbia$50,792 2Berkeley College-New York$35,544

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.

NO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES, OTHER

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 the District of ColumbiaAssociate's Degree	Washington, DC	$50,792	Not available	-48%	Negative payoff
2	Berkeley College-New YorkAssociate's Degree	New York, NY	$35,544	$29,518	-160%	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.