Real Estate: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 28 reporting college programs.
+$113,974 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.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
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.
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $46,206
- Federal debt
- $17,063
- Reporting programs
- 16
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,473
- Federal debt
- $25,453
- Reporting programs
- 3
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $83,592
- Federal debt
- $21,126
- Reporting programs
- 28
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $147,770
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 15
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.
1University of Southern California$143,9772Villanova University$131,9113New York University$130,7164University of Wisconsin-Madison$120,4835Texas Christian University$103,5476Marquette University$99,5837Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$95,5768Baylor University$94,0279Ohio State University-Main Campus$91,21310Syracuse University$90,764Observed 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. 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 Southern CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $143,977 | $19,500 | +218% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Villanova UniversityBachelor's Degree | Villanova, PA | $131,911 | $27,000 | +145% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | New York UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $130,716 | $20,500 | +161% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | $120,483 | $20,500 | +203% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Texas Christian UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fort Worth, TX | $103,547 | $24,282 | +79% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | Marquette UniversityBachelor's Degree | Milwaukee, WI | $99,583 | $19,500 | +78% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $95,576 | $27,000 | +81% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | Baylor UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waco, TX | $94,027 | $20,530 | +42% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $91,213 | $19,000 | +85% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | Syracuse UniversityBachelor's Degree | Syracuse, NY | $90,764 | Not available | +37% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | University of DenverBachelor's Degree | Denver, CO | $87,026 | Not available | +30% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | University of South Carolina-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, SC | $84,558 | $22,500 | +46% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | University of Northern IowaBachelor's Degree | Cedar Falls, IA | $83,592 | $23,125 | +58% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | Florida State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Tallahassee, FL | $80,900 | $19,500 | +59% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | University of GeorgiaBachelor's Degree | Athens, GA | $78,372 | $24,027 | +42% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | University of San DiegoBachelor's Degree | San Diego, CA | $78,044 | $21,000 | +10% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | University of Central FloridaBachelor's Degree | Orlando, FL | $72,063 | $21,032 | +22% | Positive payoff |
| 18 | University of North TexasBachelor's Degree | Denton, TX | $71,473 | $15,251 | +9% | Positive payoff |
| 19 | Temple UniversityBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $65,650 | $23,811 | -29% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | The University of Texas at San AntonioBachelor's Degree | San Antonio, TX | $62,817 | $21,485 | -20% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Georgia State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $62,120 | $29,789 | -30% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityBachelor's Degree | Richmond, VA | $60,718 | Not available | -43% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | The University of Arizona Global CampusBachelor's Degree | Chandler, AZ | $58,733 | $37,312 | -55% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | California State University, NorthridgeBachelor's Degree | Northridge, CA | $57,174 | Not available | -41% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | San Diego State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Diego, CA | $50,662 | $18,875 | -77% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | University of MississippiBachelor's Degree | University, MS | Not available | $23,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $13,314 |
| 27 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | Not available | $15,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $3,033 |
| 28 | University of Wisconsin-StoutBachelor's Degree | Menomonie, WI | Not available | $21,220 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $17,490 |
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.