Sustainability Studies: is this master's degree worth it?
National picture across 14 reporting college programs.
$79,893 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.
Observed national outcomes
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.
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,417
- Federal debt
- $23,463
- Reporting programs
- 4
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,660
- Federal debt
- $20,510
- Reporting programs
- 21
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $79,893
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 14
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.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Redlands$128,8972Columbia University in the City of New York$123,6413The New School$81,5404DePaul University$81,4575University of Wisconsin-Green Bay$80,9356Rutgers University-New Brunswick$80,6227CUNY City College$79,1638University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$76,7769University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$72,49910University of Washington-Seattle Campus$71,970Observed 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.
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 | University of RedlandsMaster's Degree | Redlands, CA | $128,897 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,031 |
| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkMaster's Degree | New York, NY | $123,641 | Not available | Baseline needed | $21,590 |
| 3 | The New SchoolMaster's Degree | New York, NY | $81,540 | Not available | Baseline needed | $58,741 |
| 4 | DePaul UniversityMaster's Degree | Chicago, IL | $81,457 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,902 |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Green BayMaster's Degree | Green Bay, WI | $80,935 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,369 |
| 6 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickMaster's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $80,622 | Not available | Baseline needed | $24,406 |
| 7 | CUNY City CollegeMaster's Degree | New York, NY | $79,163 | Not available | Baseline needed | $3,776 |
| 8 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborMaster's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $76,776 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,138 |
| 9 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignMaster's Degree | Champaign, IL | $72,499 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,355 |
| 10 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusMaster's Degree | Seattle, WA | $71,970 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,091 |
| 11 | University of Massachusetts-AmherstMaster's Degree | Amherst, MA | $68,841 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,383 |
| 12 | SIT Graduate InstituteMaster's Degree | Brattleboro, VT | $65,764 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 13 | University of South FloridaMaster's Degree | Tampa, FL | $64,880 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,812 |
| 14 | Presidio Graduate SchoolMaster's Degree | , | $125,911 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
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.