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UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1102

Computer Programming: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?

National picture across 22 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$58,693 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.

$58,693Median year-4 earnings

$10,875Average institution net-price context

$14,250Median federal debt

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

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$58,693Median reported earnings · year 4

$61,257Average reported earnings · year 5

$14,250Median federal debt

67thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

22Reporting programs

20With 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.

CURRENT VIEW

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $58,693
Federal debt: $14,250
Reporting programs: 22

20 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $59,646
Federal debt: $17,108
Reporting programs: 57

55 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $78,404
Federal debt: $31,050
Reporting programs: 33

32 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $158,509
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $52,638
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$45,751National median$58,69375th percentile$69,038

20 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Champlain College$101,091 2College of DuPage$87,336 3Weber State University$79,340 4University of Phoenix-Arizona$71,953 5Northcentral Technical College$69,038 6Portland Community College$66,990 7Hillsborough College$66,521 8Bunker Hill Community College$61,270 9Atlanta Technical College$59,204 10Dallas College$58,181

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.

Computer ProgrammersSOC 15-1251 · 6 crosswalk linksSoftware DevelopersSOC 15-1252 · 5 crosswalk linksSoftware Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersSOC 15-1253 · 5 crosswalk linksComputer Network Support SpecialistsSOC 15-1231 · 1 crosswalk linksComputer Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1021 · 1 crosswalk linksWeb DevelopersSOC 15-1254 · 1 crosswalk linksWeb and Digital Interface DesignersSOC 15-1255 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

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	Champlain CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Burlington, VT	$101,091	$26,437	Baseline needed	$35,860
2	College of DuPageUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Glen Ellyn, IL	$87,336	$7,812	Baseline needed	$7,401
3	Weber State UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Ogden, UT	$79,340	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,258
4	University of Phoenix-ArizonaUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Phoenix, AZ	$71,953	$14,431	Baseline needed	$13,520
5	Northcentral Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Wausau, WI	$69,038	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,303
6	Portland Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Portland, OR	$66,990	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,405
7	Hillsborough CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Tampa, FL	$66,521	$14,250	Baseline needed	$3,861
8	Bunker Hill Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Boston, MA	$61,270	Not available	Baseline needed	$7,818
9	Atlanta Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Atlanta, GA	$59,204	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
10	Dallas CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Dallas, TX	$58,181	$19,107	Baseline needed	$3,214
11	Massasoit Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Brockton, MA	$56,341	Not available	Baseline needed	$8,460
12	FVI School of Nursing and TechnologyUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Miami, FL	$54,867	Not available	Baseline needed	$35,514
13	North Idaho CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Coeur d'Alene, ID	$53,957	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,575
14	Ozarks Technical Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Springfield, MO	$51,849	$9,899	Baseline needed	$6,936
15	Amarillo CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Amarillo, TX	$45,751	$11,884	Baseline needed	$4,600
16	Renton Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Renton, WA	$42,751	Not available	Baseline needed	$8,296
17	Fort Myers Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Fort Myers, FL	$27,233	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
18	St Petersburg CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	St. Petersburg, FL	Not available	$13,274	Baseline needed	$1,471
19	Austin Community College DistrictUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Austin, TX	Not available	$21,446	Baseline needed	$6,390
20	University of Phoenix-CaliforniaUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	,	$71,953	$14,431	Baseline needed	Not available
21	Future-Tech InstituteUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	,	$37,690	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
22	Omnitech InstituteUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	,	$27,984	$10,004	Baseline needed	Not available

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.