Marketing: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 34 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$111,613 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.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
190.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
−95%Modeled 10-year ROI
$45,620Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$45,620Median reported earnings · year 4
$45,435Average reported earnings · year 5
$19,149Median federal debt
43thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
34Reporting programs
32With 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
- $69,299
- Federal debt
- $22,060
- Reporting programs
- 11
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $45,620
- Federal debt
- $19,149
- Reporting programs
- 34
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $66,477
- Federal debt
- $24,382
- Reporting programs
- 551
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $131,018
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Reporting programs
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $78,491
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 42
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $89,219
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $96,856
- 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$39,172National median$45,62075th percentile$51,824
32 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Southern New Hampshire University$61,5322Schoolcraft Community College District$55,5983Green River College$54,9724Columbus State Community College$53,7235Rasmussen University-Florida$51,8246Rasmussen University-Minnesota$51,8247Rasmussen University-North Dakota$51,8248Rasmussen University-Illinois$51,8249Rasmussen University-Wisconsin$51,82410Rasmussen University-Kansas$51,824Observed 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.
Business Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1011 · 5 crosswalk linksMarket Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsSOC 13-1161 · 5 crosswalk linksMarketing ManagersSOC 11-2021 · 5 crosswalk linksAdvertising and Promotions ManagersSOC 11-2011 · 1 crosswalk linksFundraisersSOC 13-1131 · 1 crosswalk linksFundraising ManagersSOC 11-2033 · 1 crosswalk linksSales ManagersSOC 11-2022 · 1 crosswalk linksSurvey ResearchersSOC 19-3022 · 1 crosswalk linksWeb and Digital Interface DesignersSOC 15-1255 · 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 | Southern New Hampshire UniversityAssociate's Degree | Manchester, NH | $61,532 | $22,546 | +1% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | Schoolcraft Community College DistrictAssociate's Degree | Livonia, MI | $55,598 | $14,943 | +12% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | Green River CollegeAssociate's Degree | Auburn, WA | $54,972 | Not available | -15% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | Columbus State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Columbus, OH | $53,723 | Not available | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | Rasmussen University-FloridaAssociate's Degree | Ocala, FL | $51,824 | $27,167 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Rasmussen University-MinnesotaAssociate's Degree | St. Cloud, MN | $51,824 | $27,167 | -46% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Rasmussen University-North DakotaAssociate's Degree | Fargo, ND | $51,824 | $27,167 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 8 | Rasmussen University-IllinoisAssociate's Degree | Rockford, IL | $51,824 | $27,167 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Rasmussen University-WisconsinAssociate's Degree | Green Bay, WI | $51,824 | $27,167 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 10 | Rasmussen University-KansasAssociate's Degree | Topeka, KS | $51,824 | $27,167 | -51% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Southeast Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Sioux Falls, SD | $51,327 | $16,500 | -49% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | CUNY New York City College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $50,267 | Not available | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Gateway Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Kenosha, WI | $50,009 | $16,250 | -57% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Madison Area Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Madison, WI | $48,479 | Not available | -71% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Nassau Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Garden City, NY | $45,971 | $10,953 | -91% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Eau Claire, WI | $45,268 | $12,000 | -98% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Ferris State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Big Rapids, MI | $45,024 | Not available | -100% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Waukesha County Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Pewaukee, WI | $44,891 | Not available | -101% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Kennebec Valley Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Fairfield, ME | $43,931 | $14,470 | -111% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $43,877 | $18,341 | -111% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Lake Area Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Watertown, SD | $43,632 | $14,250 | -111% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Spokane Falls Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Spokane, WA | $43,219 | $19,652 | -117% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Kirkwood Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Cedar Rapids, IA | $39,638 | $14,437 | -149% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Ozarks Technical Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Springfield, MO | $39,172 | $30,927 | -156% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Northcentral Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Wausau, WI | $37,143 | Not available | -171% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | SUNY Broome Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Binghamton, NY | $37,029 | Not available | -174% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Perkinston, MS | $36,825 | $17,175 | -179% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | South Hills School of Business & TechnologyAssociate's Degree | State College, PA | $35,722 | $22,501 | -172% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Three Rivers CollegeAssociate's Degree | Poplar Bluff, MO | $34,725 | Not available | -196% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Ohio Business College-SheffieldAssociate's Degree | Sheffield Village, OH | $33,036 | Not available | -181% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Guam Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Mangilao, GU | $26,997 | Not available | -283% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Berkeley College-Woodland ParkAssociate's Degree | Woodland Park, NJ | Not available | $19,149 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $27,100 |
| 33 | Berkeley College-New YorkAssociate's Degree | New York, NY | Not available | $24,075 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $34,124 |
| 34 | FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & MerchandisingAssociate's Degree | , | $63,366 | $19,025 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | 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.