Public Policy Analysis: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 40 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$16,247 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.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
10.7 yrsModeled economic break-even
−6%Modeled 10-year ROI
$69,656Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$69,656Median reported earnings · year 4
$72,125Average reported earnings · year 5
$22,000Median federal debt
61thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
40Reporting programs
34With year-4 earnings
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
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $69,656
- Federal debt
- $22,000
- Reporting programs
- 40
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $89,111
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 50
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $113,884
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $89,003
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 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$64,389National median$69,65675th percentile$75,580
34 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Cornell University$126,7672Princeton University$107,7923Duke University$103,0714Brown University$94,9625University of Chicago$94,2376Vanderbilt University$91,2657University of Mississippi$85,3388Trinity College$82,6389Northwestern University$78,75210Brandeis University$75,580Observed 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.
Social Science Research AssistantsSOC 19-4061 · 4 crosswalk linksPolitical Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1065 · 3 crosswalk linksPolitical ScientistsSOC 19-3094 · 2 crosswalk linksSocial Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 19-3099 · 2 crosswalk linksEducation Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1081 · 1 crosswalk linksHealth Specialties Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1071 · 1 crosswalk linksLegislatorsSOC 11-1031 · 1 crosswalk linksMedical and Health Services ManagersSOC 11-9111 · 1 crosswalk linksNO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk links
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 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | $126,767 | $15,750 | +177% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Princeton UniversityBachelor's Degree | Princeton, NJ | $107,792 | $10,527 | +207% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Duke UniversityBachelor's Degree | Durham, NC | $103,071 | $10,500 | +95% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | Brown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $94,962 | $10,345 | +78% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | University of ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $94,237 | $17,492 | +106% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Vanderbilt UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nashville, TN | $91,265 | Not available | +90% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | University of MississippiBachelor's Degree | University, MS | $85,338 | $21,000 | +73% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | Trinity CollegeBachelor's Degree | Hartford, CT | $82,638 | $23,161 | +18% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | Northwestern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Evanston, IL | $78,752 | $18,750 | +14% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | Brandeis UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waltham, MA | $75,580 | $25,000 | -5% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $74,865 | $26,500 | +8% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $74,511 | $18,000 | -5% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillBachelor's Degree | Chapel Hill, NC | $74,403 | $15,000 | +30% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $73,749 | $21,000 | +24% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $71,723 | $22,341 | +11% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $71,723 | $22,341 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 17 | University of RedlandsBachelor's Degree | Redlands, CA | $70,080 | $27,000 | -16% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | St. Mary's College of MarylandBachelor's Degree | St. Mary's City, MD | $69,232 | $22,000 | -5% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | William & MaryBachelor's Degree | Williamsburg, VA | $69,118 | $22,000 | -6% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | The University of Texas at DallasBachelor's Degree | Richardson, TX | $66,209 | $16,750 | -16% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $66,177 | $15,468 | -24% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $65,894 | $14,500 | -16% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | University of DelawareBachelor's Degree | Newark, DE | $65,776 | $25,336 | -17% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | University of ConnecticutBachelor's Degree | Storrs, CT | $64,389 | $25,964 | -31% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusBachelor's Degree | Waterbury, CT | $64,389 | $25,964 | -13% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | University of Connecticut-Avery PointBachelor's Degree | Groton, CT | $64,389 | $25,964 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | University of Connecticut-StamfordBachelor's Degree | Stamford, CT | $64,389 | $25,964 | -22% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | University of Connecticut-Hartford CampusBachelor's Degree | Hartford, CT | $64,389 | $25,964 | -21% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Washington State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pullman, WA | $63,631 | Not available | -22% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Regent UniversityBachelor's Degree | Virginia Beach, VA | $60,776 | $24,500 | -39% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Michigan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | East Lansing, MI | $58,535 | $26,337 | -48% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | University of California, RiversideBachelor's Degree | Riverside, CA | $58,504 | $19,161 | -43% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Georgia State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $56,842 | $30,750 | -51% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | University of Rhode IslandBachelor's Degree | Kingston, RI | $51,697 | $23,500 | -75% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | University of Illinois ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | Not available | $17,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $10,974 |
| 36 | University of Maryland-College ParkBachelor's Degree | College Park, MD | Not available | $21,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $15,678 |
| 37 | Hamilton CollegeBachelor's Degree | Clinton, NY | Not available | $17,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $28,985 |
| 38 | Siena UniversityBachelor's Degree | Loudonville, NY | Not available | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $33,733 |
| 39 | Empire State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Saratoga Springs, NY | Not available | $25,239 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $11,676 |
| 40 | Southern Methodist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Dallas, TX | Not available | $19,615 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $40,892 |
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.