UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 3014

Museology/Museum Studies: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?

National picture across 1 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$40,294 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.

$40,294Median year-4 earnings
$22,531Average institution net-price context
$21,295Median federal debt
Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$40,294Median reported earnings · year 4
$43,539Average reported earnings · year 5
$21,295Median federal debt
29thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
1Reporting programs
1With 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.

CURRENT VIEW

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$40,294
Federal debt
$21,295
Reporting programs
1
1 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$51,775
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
13
13 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$40,294National median$40,29475th percentile$40,294
1 programs report year‑4 earnings.
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Iowa$40,294

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.

ArchivistsSOC 25-4011 · 1 crosswalk linksCuratorsSOC 25-4012 · 1 crosswalk linksMuseum Technicians and ConservatorsSOC 25-4013 · 1 crosswalk linksPostsecondary Teachers, All OtherSOC 25-1199 · 1 crosswalk links
BEST COLLEGES FOR MUSEOLOGY/MUSEUM STUDIES

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#CollegeLocationEarnings, year 4Federal debtROI statusCost context
1University of IowaUndergraduate Certificate or DiplomaIowa City, IA$40,294$21,295Baseline needed$22,531

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.