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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 3017

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

National picture across 6 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$154,215 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

−128%Modeled 10-year ROI

$41,634Observed 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

$41,634Median reported earnings · year 4

$38,143Average reported earnings · year 5

$11,371Median federal debt

29thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

6Reporting programs

5With 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: $44,026
Federal debt: $24,721
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $41,634
Federal debt: $11,371
Reporting programs: 6

5 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $48,657
Federal debt: $26,945
Reporting programs: 25

23 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $67,975
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 4

4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $125,925
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $62,923
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$41,081National median$41,63475th percentile$43,440

5 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1College of the Siskiyous$44,993 2San Jacinto Community College$43,440 3Loyola University Chicago$41,634 4Vincennes University$41,081 5University of Phoenix-Arizona$37,151 6Hill CollegeNot 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.

Community and Social Service Specialists, All OtherSOC 21-1099 · 1 crosswalk linksLife Scientists, All OtherSOC 19-1099 · 1 crosswalk linksPsychologists, All OtherSOC 19-3039 · 1 crosswalk linksPsychology Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1066 · 1 crosswalk linksSocial Science Research AssistantsSOC 19-4061 · 1 crosswalk linksSocial Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 19-3099 · 1 crosswalk linksSocial and Community Service ManagersSOC 11-9151 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR BEHAVIORAL 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	College of the SiskiyousAssociate's Degree	Weed, CA	$44,993	Not available	-100%	Negative payoff
2	San Jacinto Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Pasadena, TX	$43,440	$9,264	-114%	Negative payoff
3	Loyola University ChicagoAssociate's Degree	Chicago, IL	$41,634	$5,701	-121%	Negative payoff
4	Vincennes UniversityAssociate's Degree	Vincennes, IN	$41,081	$11,371	-135%	Negative payoff
5	University of Phoenix-ArizonaAssociate's Degree	Phoenix, AZ	$37,151	$27,515	-167%	Negative payoff
6	Hill CollegeAssociate's Degree	Hillsboro, TX	Not available	$15,250	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$7,577

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.