Engineering, General: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?
National picture across 6 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$85,144 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.
$85,144Median year-4 earnings
$22,110Average institution net-price context
$27,000Median federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$85,144Median reported earnings · year 4
$65,568Average reported earnings · year 5
$27,000Median federal debt
94thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
6Reporting programs
3With year-4 earnings
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
- $85,144
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Reporting programs
- 6
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $75,246
- Federal debt
- $10,841
- Reporting programs
- 54
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $88,063
- Federal debt
- $26,978
- Reporting programs
- 59
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $123,834
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 29
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $138,039
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 2
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $122,252
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
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$71,199National median$85,14475th percentile$85,144
3 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.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$94,2722Cabrillo College$85,1443Ozarks Technical Community College$71,1994Pennsylvania State University-Penn State AltoonaNot available5Pennsylvania State University-Penn State BerksNot available6Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusNot availableObserved year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Engineers, All OtherSOC 17-2199 · 2 crosswalk linksArchitectural and Engineering ManagersSOC 11-9041 · 1 crosswalk linksEngineering Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1032 · 1 crosswalk linksNO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk links
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 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Pittsburgh, PA | $94,272 | $19,500 | Baseline needed | $30,434 |
| 2 | Cabrillo CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Aptos, CA | $85,144 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,843 |
| 3 | Ozarks Technical Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Springfield, MO | $71,199 | Not available | Baseline needed | $6,936 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State AltoonaUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Altoona, PA | Not available | $27,000 | Baseline needed | $22,213 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State BerksUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Reading, PA | Not available | $27,000 | Baseline needed | $24,356 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | University Park, PA | Not available | $27,000 | Baseline needed | $32,875 |
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.