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MASTER'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

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

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 35 college programs with reportable data.

Personal baseline needed

$86,344 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.

$86,344Median year-4 earnings
$23,730Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$86,344Typical earnings four years after completion
$75,686Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
59thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
35College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 2 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 master's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $86,344 four years after completion across reportable master's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.

Does the college matter for Security Science and Technology?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $68,812 to $105,757 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 →OPEN PROFILE

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 →CURRENT VIEW

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$68,812National median$86,34475th percentile$105,757
35 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$105,75775th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
Not availableMedian federal debt across programs that report it
0Programs 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

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

$145,240 four years after completionPrescott, AZ · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Stevenson University

115 reported awards in 2024–25Owings Mills, MD · 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.

$145,240Observed year-4 earnings$67,378
$3,967Annual college-wide average net price$40,287
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.

1Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott$145,2402Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach$145,2403Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide$145,2404Excelsior University$144,4275University of San Diego$137,5336Champlain College$134,8537Sacred Heart University$113,1998Utica University$108,5619University of Maryland Global Campus$106,78710Capella University$105,757

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.

Master's Degree

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Year-4 earnings
$64,860
Federal debt
Not available
119 reporting programs →Master's Degree

Homeland Security

Year-4 earnings
$93,686
Federal debt
Not available
28 reporting programs →Master's Degree

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

Year-4 earnings
$97,362
Federal debt
Not available
10 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.

NY6 programs$94,874 average earningsPA5 programs$78,401 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.