Taxation: is this master's degree worth it?
National picture across 30 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$111,702 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.
$111,702Median year-4 earnings
$22,832Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$111,702Median reported earnings · year 4
$116,559Average reported earnings · year 5
Not availableMedian federal debt
77thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
30Reporting programs
30With year-4 earnings
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$100,001National median$111,70275th percentile$120,205
30 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Villanova University$170,7962Golden Gate University$134,9273University of Akron Main Campus$133,2594CUNY Bernard M Baruch College$132,6815DePaul University$129,5656Fordham University$128,3857University of Southern California$127,0828SUNY Old Westbury$120,4129St. John's University-New York$120,20510Bentley University$119,302Observed 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.
Accountants and AuditorsSOC 13-2011 · 1 crosswalk linksAppraisers of Personal and Business PropertySOC 13-2022 · 1 crosswalk linksFinancial ExaminersSOC 13-2061 · 1 crosswalk linksTax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue AgentsSOC 13-2081 · 1 crosswalk linksTax PreparersSOC 13-2082 · 1 crosswalk links
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 | Villanova UniversityMaster's Degree | Villanova, PA | $170,796 | Not available | Baseline needed | $43,756 |
| 2 | Golden Gate UniversityMaster's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $134,927 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 3 | University of Akron Main CampusMaster's Degree | Akron, OH | $133,259 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,946 |
| 4 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeMaster's Degree | New York, NY | $132,681 | Not available | Baseline needed | $3,033 |
| 5 | DePaul UniversityMaster's Degree | Chicago, IL | $129,565 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,902 |
| 6 | Fordham UniversityMaster's Degree | Bronx, NY | $128,385 | Not available | Baseline needed | $44,338 |
| 7 | University of Southern CaliforniaMaster's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $127,082 | Not available | Baseline needed | $32,740 |
| 8 | SUNY Old WestburyMaster's Degree | Old Westbury, NY | $120,412 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,282 |
| 9 | St. John's University-New YorkMaster's Degree | Queens, NY | $120,205 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,999 |
| 10 | Bentley UniversityMaster's Degree | Waltham, MA | $119,302 | Not available | Baseline needed | $37,930 |
| 11 | Walsh CollegeMaster's Degree | Troy, MI | $118,221 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 12 | California State University, FullertonMaster's Degree | Fullerton, CA | $117,922 | Not available | Baseline needed | $6,555 |
| 13 | Suffolk UniversityMaster's Degree | Boston, MA | $114,731 | Not available | Baseline needed | $29,618 |
| 14 | University of DenverMaster's Degree | Denver, CO | $114,544 | Not available | Baseline needed | $36,131 |
| 15 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusMaster's Degree | Seattle, WA | $111,838 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,091 |
| 16 | Gonzaga UniversityMaster's Degree | Spokane, WA | $111,566 | Not available | Baseline needed | $35,119 |
| 17 | Georgia State UniversityMaster's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $111,249 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,931 |
| 18 | Pace UniversityMaster's Degree | New York, NY | $111,066 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,892 |
| 19 | Hofstra UniversityMaster's Degree | Hempstead, NY | $110,943 | Not available | Baseline needed | $34,176 |
| 20 | University of MiamiMaster's Degree | Coral Gables, FL | $110,300 | Not available | Baseline needed | $37,244 |
| 21 | University at AlbanyMaster's Degree | Albany, NY | $109,679 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,167 |
| 22 | California State University, NorthridgeMaster's Degree | Northridge, CA | $108,576 | Not available | Baseline needed | $7,021 |
| 23 | Florida Atlantic UniversityMaster's Degree | Boca Raton, FL | $100,001 | Not available | Baseline needed | $8,752 |
| 24 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionMaster's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $97,343 | Not available | Baseline needed | $14,967 |
| 25 | University of Missouri-ColumbiaMaster's Degree | Columbia, MO | $94,484 | Not available | Baseline needed | $20,268 |
| 26 | Nova Southeastern UniversityMaster's Degree | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $93,144 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,371 |
| 27 | Weber State UniversityMaster's Degree | Ogden, UT | $90,450 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,258 |
| 28 | University of North TexasMaster's Degree | Denton, TX | $88,087 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,649 |
| 29 | Mississippi State UniversityMaster's Degree | Mississippi State, MS | $85,149 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,595 |
| 30 | Portland State UniversityMaster's Degree | Portland, OR | $81,454 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,552 |
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.