Social Sciences, General: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 38 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$113,654 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.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
—Modeled economic break-even
−107%Modeled 10-year ROI
$44,267Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$44,267Median reported earnings · year 4
$41,093Average reported earnings · year 5
$9,314Median federal debt
38thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
38Reporting programs
38With 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
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $44,267
- Federal debt
- $9,314
- Reporting programs
- 38
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,095
- Federal debt
- $25,805
- Reporting programs
- 95
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,722
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 9
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$41,246National median$44,26775th percentile$47,624
38 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Ohlone College$58,9282City College of San Francisco$56,2573Roxbury Community College$55,3294College of San Mateo$52,6195De Anza College$51,4606Woodland Community College$51,0517Merritt College$50,0018Pasadena City College$48,7099Northern Virginia Community College$48,34410American River College$47,731Observed 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.
Managers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 4 crosswalk linksSocial Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All OtherSOC 25-1069 · 4 crosswalk linksSocial Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 19-3099 · 4 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 2 crosswalk linksSocial Science Research AssistantsSOC 19-4061 · 2 crosswalk linksSociologistsSOC 19-3041 · 2 crosswalk linksStatisticiansSOC 15-2041 · 2 crosswalk linksElementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationSOC 25-2021 · 1 crosswalk linksMiddle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2022 · 1 crosswalk linksSociology Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1067 · 1 crosswalk linksSurvey ResearchersSOC 19-3022 · 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 | Ohlone CollegeAssociate's Degree | Fremont, CA | $58,928 | $5,500 | +24% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | City College of San FranciscoAssociate's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $56,257 | Not available | +8% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | Roxbury Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Roxbury Crossing, MA | $55,329 | Not available | -10% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | College of San MateoAssociate's Degree | San Mateo, CA | $52,619 | Not available | -16% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | De Anza CollegeAssociate's Degree | Cupertino, CA | $51,460 | Not available | -37% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Woodland Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Woodland, CA | $51,051 | Not available | -43% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Merritt CollegeAssociate's Degree | Oakland, CA | $50,001 | Not available | -58% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Pasadena City CollegeAssociate's Degree | Pasadena, CA | $48,709 | Not available | -62% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Northern Virginia Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Annandale, VA | $48,344 | $10,500 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | American River CollegeAssociate's Degree | Sacramento, CA | $47,731 | Not available | -74% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | East Los Angeles CollegeAssociate's Degree | Monterey Park, CA | $47,624 | $5,500 | -77% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Santa Rosa Junior CollegeAssociate's Degree | Santa Rosa, CA | $46,768 | Not available | -83% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Harrisburg Area Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Harrisburg, PA | $46,654 | $23,500 | -86% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | San Diego Miramar CollegeAssociate's Degree | San Diego, CA | $46,564 | Not available | -84% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Arizona Western CollegeAssociate's Degree | Yuma, AZ | $45,617 | Not available | -94% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Sierra CollegeAssociate's Degree | Rocklin, CA | $45,195 | $7,834 | -98% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Crafton Hills CollegeAssociate's Degree | Yucaipa, CA | $44,769 | Not available | -102% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | J Sargeant Reynolds Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Richmond, VA | $44,435 | $12,500 | -106% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Brookdale Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Lincroft, NJ | $44,277 | $9,500 | -106% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Mt San Antonio CollegeAssociate's Degree | Walnut, CA | $44,256 | Not available | -107% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Essex County CollegeAssociate's Degree | Newark, NJ | $44,106 | $5,851 | -109% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Yuba CollegeAssociate's Degree | Marysville, CA | $43,965 | Not available | -111% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Massasoit Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Brockton, MA | $43,185 | $8,825 | -117% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Virginia Peninsula Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Hampton, VA | $42,697 | $10,500 | -122% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Los Angeles Valley CollegeAssociate's Degree | Valley Glen, CA | $42,610 | $10,750 | -121% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Long Beach City CollegeAssociate's Degree | Long Beach, CA | $42,308 | Not available | -126% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Fresno City CollegeAssociate's Degree | Fresno, CA | $42,228 | Not available | -126% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Tidewater Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Norfolk, VA | $41,334 | $11,000 | -132% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Merced CollegeAssociate's Degree | Merced, CA | $41,246 | $7,843 | -138% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Butte CollegeAssociate's Degree | Oroville, CA | $40,543 | $9,036 | -144% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Tulsa Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Tulsa, OK | $39,945 | $12,625 | -149% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Shasta CollegeAssociate's Degree | Redding, CA | $39,704 | Not available | -155% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Frederick Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Frederick, MD | $38,977 | $10,848 | -155% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | Antelope Valley Community College DistrictAssociate's Degree | Lancaster, CA | $38,575 | $12,711 | -166% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | Virginia Western Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Roanoke, VA | $38,545 | $9,128 | -165% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Mt San Jacinto Community College DistrictAssociate's Degree | San Jacinto, CA | $36,114 | $6,625 | -186% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | Laney CollegeAssociate's Degree | Oakland, CA | $30,022 | Not available | -221% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Barstow Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Barstow, CA | $29,470 | $5,588 | -234% | Negative payoff |
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.