Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?
National picture across 17 reporting college programs.
$50,748 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.
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.
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.
1Saint Paul College$106,3252City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College$80,0123Ranken Technical College$70,4074Hennepin Technical College$60,6705St Cloud Technical and Community College$59,6756San Jacinto Community College$58,6687Orleans Technical College$51,8138Industrial Management Training Institute$51,5509Pennco Tech-Bristol$49,94610South Florida Institute of Technology$47,029Observed 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. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | ROI status | Cost context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Paul CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Saint Paul, MN | $106,325 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,495 |
| 2 | City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Chicago, IL | $80,012 | $6,726 | Baseline needed | $9,494 |
| 3 | Ranken Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Saint Louis, MO | $70,407 | $6,500 | Baseline needed | $18,795 |
| 4 | Hennepin Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Brooklyn Park, MN | $60,670 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,272 |
| 5 | St Cloud Technical and Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Saint Cloud, MN | $59,675 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,635 |
| 6 | San Jacinto Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Pasadena, TX | $58,668 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,143 |
| 7 | Orleans Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Philadelphia, PA | $51,813 | $7,521 | Baseline needed | $20,113 |
| 8 | Industrial Management Training InstituteUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Waterbury, CT | $51,550 | $9,500 | Baseline needed | $42,758 |
| 9 | Pennco Tech-BristolUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Bristol, PA | $49,946 | $9,500 | Baseline needed | $19,197 |
| 10 | South Florida Institute of TechnologyUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Miami, FL | $47,029 | $9,500 | Baseline needed | $31,695 |
| 11 | Berk Trade and Business SchoolUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Long Island City, NY | $46,884 | $6,333 | Baseline needed | $16,770 |
| 12 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-ElizabethtonUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Elizabethton, TN | $45,385 | Not available | Baseline needed | $8,568 |
| 13 | Apex Technical SchoolUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Long Island City, NY | $45,134 | $9,500 | Baseline needed | $14,826 |
| 14 | Sheridan Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Hollywood, FL | $37,208 | Not available | Baseline needed | $6,677 |
| 15 | Hohokus School of Trade and Technical SciencesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Paterson, NJ | $36,892 | $10,728 | Baseline needed | $22,148 |
| 16 | NUC UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Bayamon, PR | $21,656 | $9,500 | Baseline needed | $8,920 |
| 17 | Emily Griffith Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Denver, CO | Not available | $6,500 | Baseline needed | $7,197 |
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.