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POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 5203

Accounting and Related Services: is this post-baccalaureate certificate worth it?

National picture across 4 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$94,664 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.

$94,664Median year-4 earnings

$30,244Average institution net-price context

$15,125Median federal debt

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

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$94,664Median reported earnings · year 4

$97,528Average reported earnings · year 5

$15,125Median federal debt

66thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

4Reporting programs

4With 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: $44,880
Federal debt: $13,176
Reporting programs: 114

112 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $49,138
Federal debt: $19,254
Reporting programs: 250

244 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $72,457
Federal debt: $25,000
Reporting programs: 856

835 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $94,664
Federal debt: $15,125
Reporting programs: 4

4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $93,047
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 362

362 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $122,025
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $84,386
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 26

26 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $89,896
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$79,598National median$94,66475th percentile$107,384

4 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Santa Clara University$115,965 2Bentley University$107,384 3Virginia Commonwealth University$81,943 4Portland State University$79,598

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.

Accountants and AuditorsSOC 13-2011 · 4 crosswalk linksBusiness Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1011 · 4 crosswalk linksAppraisers of Personal and Business PropertySOC 13-2022 · 3 crosswalk linksFinancial Risk SpecialistsSOC 13-2054 · 3 crosswalk linksBudget AnalystsSOC 13-2031 · 2 crosswalk linksFinancial ExaminersSOC 13-2061 · 2 crosswalk linksFinancial ManagersSOC 11-3031 · 2 crosswalk linksFinancial and Investment AnalystsSOC 13-2051 · 2 crosswalk linksTax PreparersSOC 13-2082 · 2 crosswalk linksBookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing ClerksSOC 43-3031 · 1 crosswalk linksBrokerage ClerksSOC 43-4011 · 1 crosswalk linksCredit AnalystsSOC 13-2041 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR ACCOUNTING AND RELATED SERVICES

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	Santa Clara UniversityPost-baccalaureate Certificate	Santa Clara, CA	$115,965	$15,125	Baseline needed	$50,062
2	Bentley UniversityPost-baccalaureate Certificate	Waltham, MA	$107,384	Not available	Baseline needed	$37,930
3	Virginia Commonwealth UniversityPost-baccalaureate Certificate	Richmond, VA	$81,943	Not available	Baseline needed	$23,433
4	Portland State UniversityPost-baccalaureate Certificate	Portland, OR	$79,598	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.