BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences, Other worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 4 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$24,741 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.
9.1 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+10%Estimated return after 10 years
$71,805Observed earnings · year 4
$22,013Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $6,185 per year below this threshold.
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$88,050
$8,000Annual price+$56,050
$16,000Current college-wide context+$24,050
$24,000Annual price−$7,950
$32,000Annual price−$39,950
$40,000Annual price−$71,950
Outcomes at a glance
$71,805Typical earnings four years after completion
$48,166Average earnings five years after completion
$24,000Typical federal student debt
65thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
3College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Physical Sciences, Other
How much do Physical Sciences, Other bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $71,805 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $24,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Physical Sciences, Other?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $59,594 to $71,805 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Physical Sciences, Other?
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.
OPEN PROFILE
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- Not available
- Federal debt
- $17,500
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $71,805
- Federal debt
- $24,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $80,494
- 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$59,594National median$71,80575th percentile$71,805
3 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
University of North Alabama
$78,082 four years after completionFlorence, AL · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtEmpire State University
$23,976 among completer borrowersSaratoga Springs, NY · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville
27 reported awards in 2024–25Huntsville, AL · inspect the full program →Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
4 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 4 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of North Alabama$78,0822Empire State University$71,8053University of Mary Washington$59,5944University of Alabama in HuntsvilleNot availableObserved 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.
Natural Sciences Managers$167,220 median wage108,690 jobs nationwide+8.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,710–$316,850 typical wage rangePhysical Scientists, All Other$122,570 median wage22,300 jobs nationwide+2.1% projected growth through 2035 · 1,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$67,000–$195,190 typical wage rangePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$77,640 median wage149,840 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$44,300–$160,700 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.