Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 8 reporting college programs.
10-year estimate · Positive payoff
+$10,965 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.
The estimate clears the cost within ten years, though your price and time to finish may change the result.
9.1 yrsModeled economic break-even
+10%Modeled 10-year ROI
$57,275Observed earnings · year 4
$16,375Maximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
The price benchmark is $5,483 per year below this threshold.
Includes direct price and earnings forgone while studying. Assumes $45,000 in alternative annual earnings and no wage growth. How we calculate itObserved national outcomes
$57,275Median reported earnings · year 4
$55,242Average reported earnings · year 5
$9,500Median federal debt
69thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
Not availableIPEDS 2023–24 first-major awards across matched colleges
8With year-4 earnings
The award total covers 0 matched college records and is not extrapolated to colleges without a match.
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
- $41,562
- Federal debt
- $15,095
- Reporting programs
- 3
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,275
- Federal debt
- $9,500
- Reporting programs
- 8
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $78,216
- Federal debt
- $29,700
- Reporting programs
- 9
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $114,122
- Federal debt
- $25,074
- Reporting programs
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $141,785
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 2
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$49,126National median$57,27575th percentile$64,469
8 programs report year‑4 earnings.DECISION CHECK
What to compare before choosing a program
The national result is only the starting point. Price, debt and the college-level earnings spread can materially change the payoff.
Put the same degree side by side.
Start with the leading reportable programs, then change the selection to match your shortlist.
Compare 3 programs →Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Narrow one field and credential by location, sector and debt, then compare two to four programs side by side.
8 matchesSelect up to four · showing 25 currently operating colleges
Open the full program search →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Middlesex Community College$71,1832Des Moines Area Community College$64,8953Hartnell College$64,4694Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology$57,8595Northeast Wisconsin Technical College$56,6916Tulsa Community College$54,8227Erie Institute of Technology Inc$49,1268Lemoore College$34,303Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations, wages and demand
Official CIP–SOC links show where this field can lead. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same occupation.
NO MATCHUnreported U.S. jobs · SOC 99-9999
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 employment projections. Career context is separate from graduate outcomes.
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 | Middlesex Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Bedford, MA | $71,183 | Not available | +175% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Des Moines Area Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Ankeny, IA | $64,895 | $9,500 | +77% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | Hartnell CollegeAssociate's Degree | Salinas, CA | $64,469 | Not available | +107% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Thaddeus Stevens College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Lancaster, PA | $57,859 | $9,045 | +9% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | Northeast Wisconsin Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Green Bay, WI | $56,691 | Not available | +6% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | Tulsa Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Tulsa, OK | $54,822 | $18,653 | -4% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Erie Institute of Technology IncAssociate's Degree | Erie, PA | $49,126 | Not available | -73% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Lemoore CollegeAssociate's Degree | Lemoore, CA | $34,303 | Not available | -196% | 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.