ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Security Science and Technology worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 9 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$149,522 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−133%Estimated return after 10 years
$41,327Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
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−$126,730
$8,000Annual price−$142,730
$11,000Current college-wide context−$148,730
$16,000Annual price−$158,730
$24,000Annual price−$174,730
$32,000Annual price−$190,730
$40,000Annual price−$206,730
Outcomes at a glance
$41,327Typical earnings four years after completion
$35,330Average earnings five years after completion
$12,000Typical federal student debt
28thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
7College 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 Security Science and Technology
How much do Security Science and Technology associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $41,327 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $12,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Security Science and Technology?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $20,241 to $51,215 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Security Science and Technology?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 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
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $64,856
- Federal debt
- $29,333
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,327
- Federal debt
- $12,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 9
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,447
- Federal debt
- $25,432
- Programs in the comparison
- 49
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- Not available
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $86,344
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 35
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$20,241National median$41,32775th percentile$51,215
7 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
Rose State College
$67,780 four years after completionMidwest City, OK · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtCollege of Southern Nevada
$11,000 among completer borrowersLas Vegas, NV · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classKeiser University-Ft Lauderdale
40 reported awards in 2024–25Fort Lauderdale, FL · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$63,730Observed year-4 earnings$20,241
Rose State College$12,148 price · $67,780 earningsCollege of Southern Nevada$6,615 price · $63,730 earningsPalm Beach State College$9,182 price · $51,215 earningsMiami Dade College$5,463 price · $41,327 earningsKeiser University-Ft Lauderdale$30,498 price · $40,374 earningsICPR Junior College-Arecibo$6,735 price · $20,241 earningsICPR Junior College$7,096 price · $20,241 earnings
$5,463Annual college-wide average net price$12,148
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
9 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 9 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Rose State College$67,7802College of Southern Nevada$63,7303Palm Beach State College$51,2154Miami Dade College$41,3275Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale$40,3746ICPR Junior College-Arecibo$20,2417ICPR Junior College$20,2418Herkimer County Community CollegeNot available9Fox Valley Technical CollegeNot 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 →23%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary$76,590 median wage13,150 jobs nationwide+1.5% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$45,000–$140,240 typical wage rangeDetectives and Criminal Investigators$93,790 median wage114,430 jobs nationwide+0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 7,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$55,390–$160,540 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$106,040 median wage154,610 jobs nationwide+3.3% projected growth through 2035 · 10,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$63,350–$165,110 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other$76,400 median wage20,690 jobs nationwide+1.9% projected growth through 2035 · 1,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$41,110–$103,420 typical wage rangeForensic Science Technicians$72,060 median wage19,120 jobs nationwide+13.3% projected growth through 2035 · 2,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,250–$117,250 typical wage rangeLife, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$62,280 median wage73,910 jobs nationwide+4.4% projected growth through 2035 · 11,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$39,000–$102,690 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Security Workers$55,940 median wage81,480 jobs nationwide+3.7% projected growth through 2035 · 6,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$37,300–$92,260 typical wage rangePrivate Detectives and Investigators$51,220 median wage35,580 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 3,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$36,740–$97,630 typical wage rangeSpecial ForcesUnreported jobs nationwideSpecial Forces OfficersUnreported jobs nationwideManagers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangeInformation Security Analysts$129,180 median wage190,650 jobs nationwide+21.0% projected growth through 2035 · 14,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$75,090–$199,850 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.