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GRADUATE/PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 4407

Social Work: is this graduate/professional certificate worth it?

National picture across 1 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$82,838 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.

$82,838Median year-4 earnings

$15,566Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$82,838Median reported earnings · year 4

Not availableAverage reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

57thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

1Reporting programs

1With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

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

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $34,968
Federal debt: $11,018
Reporting programs: 4

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $40,761
Federal debt: $17,033
Reporting programs: 41

37 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $51,410
Federal debt: $26,475
Reporting programs: 463

442 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $60,275
Federal debt: $26,000
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $62,611
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 283

283 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $103,777
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 6

6 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $68,031
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $82,838
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $57,436
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 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$82,838National median$82,83875th percentile$82,838

1 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Montclair State University$82,838

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

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Child, Family, and School Social WorkersSOC 21-1021 · 4 crosswalk linksSocial and Community Service ManagersSOC 11-9151 · 4 crosswalk linksHealthcare Social WorkersSOC 21-1022 · 3 crosswalk linksSocial Work Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1113 · 3 crosswalk linksSocial Workers, All OtherSOC 21-1029 · 3 crosswalk linksMental Health and Substance Abuse Social WorkersSOC 21-1023 · 2 crosswalk linksCounselors, All OtherSOC 21-1019 · 1 crosswalk linksMarriage and Family TherapistsSOC 21-1013 · 1 crosswalk linksProbation Officers and Correctional Treatment SpecialistsSOC 21-1092 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR SOCIAL WORK

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Montclair State UniversityGraduate/Professional Certificate	Montclair, NJ	$82,838	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,566

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.