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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 5102

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 1 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$86,556 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.

99.1 yrsModeled economic break-even

−90%Modeled 10-year ROI

$45,971Observed 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

$45,971Median reported earnings · year 4

Not availableAverage reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

45thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

1Reporting programs

1With 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: $54,398
Federal debt: $18,254
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $45,971
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $58,557
Federal debt: $22,500
Reporting programs: 231

220 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: Not available
Federal debt: $25,376
Reporting programs: 2

0 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $66,494
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 247

247 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $88,326
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 25

25 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $87,889
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 7

7 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $53,215
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 2

2 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$45,971National median$45,97175th percentile$45,971

1 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Santa Ana College$45,971

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.

Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1071 · 5 crosswalk linksAudiologistsSOC 29-1181 · 4 crosswalk linksSpeech-Language PathologistsSOC 29-1127 · 4 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR COMMUNICATION DISORDERS SCIENCES AND SERVICES

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	Santa Ana CollegeAssociate's Degree	Santa Ana, CA	$45,971	Not available	-90%	Negative payoff

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.