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BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Security Science and Technology worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 49 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$137,028 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.

21.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−52%Estimated return after 10 years
$57,447Observed 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.

What stays fixed$57,447 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$57,447Typical earnings four years after completion
$55,949Average earnings five years after completion
$25,432Typical federal student debt
40thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
222Degrees awarded in 2024–25
48College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 11 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Security Science and Technology

How much do Security Science and Technology bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $57,447 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 $25,432. 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 $51,956 to $63,182 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.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

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
4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$41,327
Federal debt
$12,000
Programs in the comparison
9
7 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$57,447
Federal debt
$25,432
Programs in the comparison
49
48 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
Not available
Federal debt
$27,000
Programs in the comparison
1
0 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$86,344
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
35
35 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$51,956National median$57,44775th percentile$63,182
48 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$63,18275th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$25,432Median federal debt across programs that report it
3Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
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

Champlain College

$101,401 four years after completionBurlington, VT · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

$14,475 among completer borrowersNew York, NY · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Farmingdale State College

176 reported awards in 2024–25Farmingdale, NY · 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.

$98,996Observed year-4 earnings$55,988
$9,337Annual college-wide average net price$38,793
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Champlain College$101,4012Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott$98,9963Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach$98,9964Florida State University$93,8415Robert Morris University$90,2066Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania$73,2897Towson University$71,4848Syracuse University$69,4919State University of New York at Plattsburgh$69,32110Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$66,084

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

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

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.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Bachelor's Degree

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Year-4 earnings
$54,228
Federal debt
$26,000
724 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Homeland Security

Year-4 earnings
$67,953
Federal debt
$23,450
37 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Fire Protection

Year-4 earnings
$87,428
Federal debt
$22,723
21 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other

Year-4 earnings
$63,162
Federal debt
$24,111
15 reporting programs →
EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

PA5 programs$69,198 average earningsNY5 programs$62,856 average earningsFL5 programs$70,883 average earnings

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.