Social Sciences, Other: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 40 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$160,310 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.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
26.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
−62%Modeled 10-year ROI
$54,888Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$54,888Median reported earnings · year 4
$57,026Average reported earnings · year 5
$25,750Median federal debt
34thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
40Reporting programs
35With 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.
OPEN PROFILE
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $31,840
- Federal debt
- $11,204
- Reporting programs
- 3
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $54,888
- Federal debt
- $25,750
- Reporting programs
- 40
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $71,200
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 9
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $73,080
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
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$46,521National median$54,88875th percentile$62,559
35 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of California, Berkeley$101,1382Rutgers University-New Brunswick$80,7003New York University$74,9834CUNY Graduate School and University Center$69,9965University of California, Davis$68,5356University of Rochester$68,3337Loyola University Maryland$67,3738University of Rhode Island$66,7389Columbia University in the City of New York$65,08510Towson University$62,559Observed 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 · 1 crosswalk linksSocial Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All OtherSOC 25-1069 · 1 crosswalk linksSocial Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 19-3099 · 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 | University of California, BerkeleyBachelor's Degree | Berkeley, CA | $101,138 | $15,000 | +140% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $80,700 | $25,000 | +29% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | New York UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $74,983 | $20,188 | -9% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | CUNY Graduate School and University CenterBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $69,996 | $12,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 5 | University of California, DavisBachelor's Degree | Davis, CA | $68,535 | $12,790 | -2% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | University of RochesterBachelor's Degree | Rochester, NY | $68,333 | $21,366 | -21% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Loyola University MarylandBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $67,373 | $27,000 | -26% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | University of Rhode IslandBachelor's Degree | Kingston, RI | $66,738 | $23,732 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $65,085 | $26,000 | -25% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Towson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Towson, MD | $62,559 | $20,500 | -30% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | St Lawrence UniversityBachelor's Degree | Canton, NY | $60,518 | $27,000 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Kalamazoo CollegeBachelor's Degree | Kalamazoo, MI | $59,193 | $24,821 | -45% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $57,360 | $17,000 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $56,628 | $19,307 | -51% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | University of Washington-Tacoma CampusBachelor's Degree | Tacoma, WA | $56,628 | $19,307 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | SUNY Old WestburyBachelor's Degree | Old Westbury, NY | $56,609 | $19,500 | -48% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | University of California, RiversideBachelor's Degree | Riverside, CA | $55,087 | $17,833 | -57% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Central Michigan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Mount Pleasant, MI | $54,888 | $27,000 | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Russell Sage CollegeBachelor's Degree | Troy, NY | $54,363 | $26,865 | -66% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $54,259 | Not available | -52% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Millersville University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Millersville, PA | $54,086 | $27,000 | -65% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Lake Forest CollegeBachelor's Degree | Lake Forest, IL | $53,438 | $26,500 | -71% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | University of Wisconsin-Green BayBachelor's Degree | Green Bay, WI | $50,738 | $25,125 | -75% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Benedictine UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lisle, IL | $50,054 | $32,824 | -81% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Eastern Oregon UniversityBachelor's Degree | La Grande, OR | $49,611 | $29,750 | -81% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | University of Alabama at BirminghamBachelor's Degree | Birmingham, AL | $47,004 | Not available | -92% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | SUNY Polytechnic InstituteBachelor's Degree | Utica, NY | $46,521 | Not available | -94% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Keystone CollegeBachelor's Degree | La Plume, PA | $46,452 | $27,000 | -95% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Clark UniversityBachelor's Degree | Worcester, MA | $45,710 | $25,500 | -98% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | University of Southern MaineBachelor's Degree | Portland, ME | $45,523 | $24,825 | -98% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | University of Pittsburgh-BradfordBachelor's Degree | Bradford, PA | $44,520 | Not available | -102% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $44,520 | Not available | -102% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | The University of Tennessee-ChattanoogaBachelor's Degree | Chattanooga, TN | $43,858 | $26,375 | -105% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | Glenville State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Glenville, WV | $38,539 | $27,000 | -127% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | SUNY at Purchase CollegeBachelor's Degree | Purchase, NY | $36,895 | Not available | -132% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | University of La VerneBachelor's Degree | La Verne, CA | Not available | $36,519 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $20,161 |
| 37 | Agnes Scott CollegeBachelor's Degree | Decatur, GA | Not available | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $24,754 |
| 38 | Morningside UniversityBachelor's Degree | Sioux City, IA | Not available | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $31,320 |
| 39 | Huston-Tillotson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Austin, TX | Not available | $50,249 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $19,719 |
| 40 | Commonwealth University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Bloomsburg, PA | Not available | $31,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $15,699 |
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.