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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 0109

Animal Sciences: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 13 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$146,502 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

—Modeled economic break-even

−119%Modeled 10-year ROI

$42,663Observed earnings · year 4

Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$42,663Median reported earnings · year 4

$45,873Average reported earnings · year 5

$12,000Median federal debt

33thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

13Reporting programs

7With 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: $27,324
Federal debt: $17,480
Reporting programs: 4

4 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $42,663
Federal debt: $12,000
Reporting programs: 13

7 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $49,193
Federal debt: $22,250
Reporting programs: 83

79 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $82,704
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 4

4 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$34,888National median$42,66375th percentile$46,282

7 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute$47,995 2Ohio State University-Main Campus$47,995 3Northcentral Technical College$46,282 4SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill$42,663 5Northeast Community College$38,907 6Santa Fe College$34,888 7University of New Hampshire-Main Campus$31,072 8University of ConnecticutNot available 9Harcum CollegeNot available 10University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusNot available

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.

Agricultural Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1041 · 8 crosswalk linksFarmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural ManagersSOC 11-9013 · 8 crosswalk linksAnimal ScientistsSOC 19-1011 · 7 crosswalk linksFarm and Home Management EducatorsSOC 25-9021 · 7 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry WorkersSOC 45-1011 · 5 crosswalk linksAgricultural TechniciansSOC 19-4012 · 3 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR ANIMAL SCIENCES

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	Ohio State University Agricultural Technical InstituteAssociate's Degree	Wooster, OH	$47,995	$12,000	-76%	Negative payoff
2	Ohio State University-Main CampusAssociate's Degree	Columbus, OH	$47,995	$12,000	-76%	Negative payoff
3	Northcentral Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree	Wausau, WI	$46,282	Not available	-88%	Negative payoff
4	SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at CobleskillAssociate's Degree	Cobleskill, NY	$42,663	Not available	-118%	Negative payoff
5	Northeast Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Norfolk, NE	$38,907	Not available	-157%	Negative payoff
6	Santa Fe CollegeAssociate's Degree	Gainesville, FL	$34,888	$19,890	-190%	Negative payoff
7	University of New Hampshire-Main CampusAssociate's Degree	Durham, NH	$31,072	$12,000	-201%	Negative payoff
8	University of ConnecticutAssociate's Degree	Storrs, CT	Not available	$12,000	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$25,097
9	Harcum CollegeAssociate's Degree	Bryn Mawr, PA	Not available	$18,375	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$24,776
10	University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusAssociate's Degree	Waterbury, CT	Not available	$12,000	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$10,875
11	University of Connecticut-Avery PointAssociate's Degree	Groton, CT	Not available	$12,000	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$13,807
12	University of Connecticut-StamfordAssociate's Degree	Stamford, CT	Not available	$12,000	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$16,798
13	University of Connecticut-Hartford CampusAssociate's Degree	Hartford, CT	Not available	$12,000	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$16,403

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.