History: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 506 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$199,212 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
45.6 yrsModeled economic break-even
−78%Modeled 10-year ROI
$50,592Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$50,592Median reported earnings · year 4
$52,072Average reported earnings · year 5
$24,000Median federal debt
23thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
506Reporting programs
460With 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.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- Not available
- Federal debt
- $24,637
- Reporting programs
- 1
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $45,336
- Federal debt
- $15,230
- Reporting programs
- 6
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $50,592
- Federal debt
- $24,000
- Reporting programs
- 506
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- Not available
- Federal debt
- $22,125
- Reporting programs
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $56,361
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 36
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $76,907
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 6
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $61,512
- 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$46,105National median$50,59275th percentile$55,906
460 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Dartmouth College$136,4032Duke University$112,3773Yale University$109,9474Amherst College$103,6015Washington and Lee University$100,0876Columbia University in the City of New York$98,0797University of Pennsylvania$88,5178Brown University$85,5209Cornell University$82,03110Princeton University$80,347Observed 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.
HistoriansSOC 19-3093 · 9 crosswalk linksHistory Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1125 · 9 crosswalk linksManagers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 9 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 2 crosswalk linksArchivistsSOC 25-4011 · 1 crosswalk linksCuratorsSOC 25-4012 · 1 crosswalk linksMuseum Technicians and ConservatorsSOC 25-4013 · 1 crosswalk linksNatural Sciences ManagersSOC 11-9121 · 1 crosswalk linksTour Guides and EscortsSOC 39-7011 · 1 crosswalk links
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 | Dartmouth CollegeBachelor's Degree | Hanover, NH | $136,403 | $19,000 | +207% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Duke UniversityBachelor's Degree | Durham, NC | $112,377 | $13,000 | +126% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Yale UniversityBachelor's Degree | New Haven, CT | $109,947 | $12,000 | +136% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Amherst CollegeBachelor's Degree | Amherst, MA | $103,601 | Not available | +114% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Washington and Lee UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lexington, VA | $100,087 | Not available | +100% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $98,079 | $22,000 | +99% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $88,517 | $11,000 | +48% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | Brown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $85,520 | $13,491 | +44% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | $82,031 | $16,884 | +26% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | Princeton UniversityBachelor's Degree | Princeton, NJ | $80,347 | Not available | +73% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | Boston CollegeBachelor's Degree | Chestnut Hill, MA | $80,073 | $19,000 | +1% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $79,940 | $12,638 | +12% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | Northwestern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Evanston, IL | $78,966 | $15,917 | +14% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | Colgate UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hamilton, NY | $75,784 | Not available | +4% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | Georgetown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $75,501 | $16,640 | -11% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | New York UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $74,545 | $19,000 | -10% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Virginia Military InstituteBachelor's Degree | Lexington, VA | $72,630 | $19,500 | +11% | Positive payoff |
| 18 | College of the Holy CrossBachelor's Degree | Worcester, MA | $72,423 | $27,000 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Fordham UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bronx, NY | $72,389 | $26,000 | -23% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | University of Virginia-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Charlottesville, VA | $71,187 | $19,352 | -2% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | George Washington UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $70,734 | $23,250 | -21% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Harvard UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cambridge, MA | $70,679 | $12,721 | +0% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | University of Notre DameBachelor's Degree | Notre Dame, IN | $70,423 | $19,000 | -11% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Emory UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $69,988 | $21,000 | -8% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Vanderbilt UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nashville, TN | $69,820 | $15,000 | +2% | Positive payoff |
| 26 | University of ScrantonBachelor's Degree | Scranton, PA | $68,443 | $25,000 | -24% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Bowie State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bowie, MD | $68,077 | $32,229 | -10% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $66,518 | $17,627 | -13% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Norwich UniversityBachelor's Degree | Northfield, VT | $66,185 | $27,000 | -21% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Binghamton UniversityBachelor's Degree | Vestal, NY | $65,984 | $19,596 | -21% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Tufts UniversityBachelor's Degree | Medford, MA | $65,540 | $15,750 | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | California State University, East BayBachelor's Degree | Hayward, CA | $65,217 | $20,000 | -7% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Syracuse UniversityBachelor's Degree | Syracuse, NY | $64,871 | $26,000 | -41% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | Citadel Military College of South CarolinaBachelor's Degree | Charleston, SC | $64,869 | $25,524 | -24% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | University of California, BerkeleyBachelor's Degree | Berkeley, CA | $64,755 | $13,068 | -16% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $64,570 | Not available | +2% | Positive payoff |
| 37 | University of ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $64,330 | Not available | -19% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Monmouth UniversityBachelor's Degree | West Long Branch, NJ | $63,947 | $27,000 | -38% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | William & MaryBachelor's Degree | Williamsburg, VA | $63,632 | $17,750 | -27% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | Mount Saint Mary CollegeBachelor's Degree | Newburgh, NY | $63,174 | $26,999 | -36% | Negative payoff |
| 41 | College of Staten Island CUNYBachelor's Degree | Staten Island, NY | $63,071 | $12,648 | -11% | Negative payoff |
| 42 | Barnard CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $62,258 | $16,425 | -42% | Negative payoff |
| 43 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $62,077 | $19,494 | -27% | Negative payoff |
| 44 | University of California, San DiegoBachelor's Degree | La Jolla, CA | $61,745 | $17,467 | -27% | Negative payoff |
| 45 | CUNY Lehman CollegeBachelor's Degree | Bronx, NY | $61,512 | $15,090 | -14% | Negative payoff |
| 46 | The University of Texas at DallasBachelor's Degree | Richardson, TX | $61,321 | $23,000 | -36% | Negative payoff |
| 47 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $61,059 | $15,000 | -32% | Negative payoff |
| 48 | University of Washington-Tacoma CampusBachelor's Degree | Tacoma, WA | $61,059 | $15,000 | -27% | Negative payoff |
| 49 | Oberlin CollegeBachelor's Degree | Oberlin, OH | $60,895 | $26,050 | -52% | Negative payoff |
| 50 | Hobart William Smith CollegesBachelor's Degree | Geneva, NY | $60,616 | $27,000 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 51 | University of California, Santa CruzBachelor's Degree | Santa Cruz, CA | $60,519 | $18,279 | -38% | Negative payoff |
| 52 | University of Puget SoundBachelor's Degree | Tacoma, WA | $60,458 | $20,500 | -54% | Negative payoff |
| 53 | Kean UniversityBachelor's Degree | Union, NJ | $60,236 | $26,000 | -34% | Negative payoff |
| 54 | University of Maryland-College ParkBachelor's Degree | College Park, MD | $60,089 | $23,715 | -38% | Negative payoff |
| 55 | Boston UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $59,986 | $26,500 | -46% | Negative payoff |
| 56 | Siena UniversityBachelor's Degree | Loudonville, NY | $59,855 | $27,000 | -53% | Negative payoff |
| 57 | Austin CollegeBachelor's Degree | Sherman, TX | $59,833 | $26,000 | -44% | Negative payoff |
| 58 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $59,819 | $20,499 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 59 | Vassar CollegeBachelor's Degree | Poughkeepsie, NY | $59,814 | $19,000 | -56% | Negative payoff |
| 60 | American Public University SystemBachelor's Degree | Charles Town, WV | $59,793 | $26,582 | -32% | Negative payoff |
| 61 | National UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Diego, CA | $59,645 | $29,687 | -46% | Negative payoff |
| 62 | American UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $59,630 | $26,000 | -58% | Negative payoff |
| 63 | University of California, Los AngelesBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $59,555 | $14,277 | -37% | Negative payoff |
| 64 | Williams CollegeBachelor's Degree | Williamstown, MA | $59,535 | Not available | -42% | Negative payoff |
| 65 | Marquette UniversityBachelor's Degree | Milwaukee, WI | $59,529 | $19,500 | -53% | Negative payoff |
| 66 | Utah Valley UniversityBachelor's Degree | Orem, UT | $59,491 | Not available | -29% | Negative payoff |
| 67 | Seton Hall UniversityBachelor's Degree | South Orange, NJ | $59,445 | $23,433 | -53% | Negative payoff |
| 68 | Brandeis UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waltham, MA | $59,426 | $23,250 | -55% | Negative payoff |
| 69 | University of California, Santa BarbaraBachelor's Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | $59,342 | $14,500 | -41% | Negative payoff |
| 70 | University of Cincinnati-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $59,290 | $23,756 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 71 | Wabash CollegeBachelor's Degree | Crawfordsville, IN | $59,221 | $27,000 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 72 | University of KansasBachelor's Degree | Lawrence, KS | $58,936 | $25,000 | -45% | Negative payoff |
| 73 | San Francisco State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $58,717 | $15,000 | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 74 | Washington State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pullman, WA | $58,415 | $24,000 | -44% | Negative payoff |
| 75 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | $58,343 | $20,909 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 76 | Indiana University-BloomingtonBachelor's Degree | Bloomington, IN | $58,258 | $23,754 | -46% | Negative payoff |
| 77 | CUNY Hunter CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $58,253 | $10,500 | -31% | Negative payoff |
| 78 | Coe CollegeBachelor's Degree | Cedar Rapids, IA | $58,240 | Not available | -48% | Negative payoff |
| 79 | University of Massachusetts-BostonBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $57,992 | $24,862 | -48% | Negative payoff |
| 80 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillBachelor's Degree | Chapel Hill, NC | $57,952 | $14,838 | -43% | Negative payoff |
| 81 | San Diego State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Diego, CA | $57,861 | $13,881 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 82 | Ramapo College of New JerseyBachelor's Degree | Mahwah, NJ | $57,820 | $24,000 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 83 | Texas A&M University-College StationBachelor's Degree | College Station, TX | $57,783 | $20,410 | -52% | Negative payoff |
| 84 | University of California, DavisBachelor's Degree | Davis, CA | $57,734 | $14,593 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 85 | Dickinson CollegeBachelor's Degree | Carlisle, PA | $57,699 | $19,000 | -62% | Negative payoff |
| 86 | University of Houston-Clear LakeBachelor's Degree | Houston, TX | $57,675 | $22,625 | -48% | Negative payoff |
| 87 | Loyola University ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $57,639 | $24,000 | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 88 | Nevada State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Henderson, NV | $57,600 | $26,611 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 89 | St Lawrence UniversityBachelor's Degree | Canton, NY | $57,349 | $27,000 | -58% | Negative payoff |
| 90 | University of DaytonBachelor's Degree | Dayton, OH | $57,218 | $26,912 | -59% | Negative payoff |
| 91 | The University of Texas at ArlingtonBachelor's Degree | Arlington, TX | $57,159 | $24,875 | -48% | Negative payoff |
| 92 | Baylor UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waco, TX | $57,006 | $24,625 | -65% | Negative payoff |
| 93 | University of ConnecticutBachelor's Degree | Storrs, CT | $56,937 | $22,470 | -57% | Negative payoff |
| 94 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusBachelor's Degree | Waterbury, CT | $56,937 | $22,470 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 95 | University of Connecticut-Avery PointBachelor's Degree | Groton, CT | $56,937 | $22,470 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 96 | University of Connecticut-StamfordBachelor's Degree | Stamford, CT | $56,937 | $22,470 | -52% | Negative payoff |
| 97 | University of Connecticut-Hartford CampusBachelor's Degree | Hartford, CT | $56,937 | $22,470 | -51% | Negative payoff |
| 98 | The University of Texas at AustinBachelor's Degree | Austin, TX | $56,881 | $19,553 | -54% | Negative payoff |
| 99 | Loyola University MarylandBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $56,845 | Not available | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 100 | University of RochesterBachelor's Degree | Rochester, NY | $56,838 | $22,421 | -60% | 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.