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UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 2314

Literature: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?

National picture across 2 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$56,649 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.

$56,649Median year-4 earnings

$24,190Average institution net-price context

$27,000Median federal debt

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

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$56,649Median reported earnings · year 4

$51,844Average reported earnings · year 5

$27,000Median federal debt

62thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

2Reporting programs

2With 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: $56,649
Federal debt: $27,000
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $45,749
Federal debt: $26,553
Reporting programs: 10

8 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $56,707
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$56,649National median$56,64975th percentile$56,649

2 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.

$56,64975th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs

$27,000Median federal debt across programs that report it

2Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg$56,649 2University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$56,649

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.

English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1123 · 6 crosswalk linksEditorsSOC 27-3041 · 3 crosswalk linksWriters and AuthorsSOC 27-3043 · 3 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR LITERATURE

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-GreensburgUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Greensburg, PA	$56,649	$27,000	Baseline needed	$17,945
2	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Pittsburgh, PA	$56,649	$27,000	Baseline needed	$30,434

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.