Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 44 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$36,961 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.
15.4 yrsModeled economic break-even
−35%Modeled 10-year ROI
$51,834Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$51,834Median reported earnings · year 4
$47,328Average reported earnings · year 5
$13,023Median federal debt
58thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
44Reporting programs
41With 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
- $66,603
- Federal debt
- $16,500
- Reporting programs
- 5
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $51,834
- Federal debt
- $13,023
- Reporting programs
- 44
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $54,816
- Federal debt
- $25,687
- Reporting programs
- 227
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $73,514
- Federal debt
- $18,837
- Reporting programs
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $70,493
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 26
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $85,987
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $97,530
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 2
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $65,118
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 5
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$46,639National median$51,83475th percentile$57,519
41 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Thomas Edison State University$71,2912Cerritos College$68,9233Central Carolina Technical College$65,1834Northwest Shoals Community College$65,0445University of Arkansas Grantham$64,5646Empire State University$62,9317Tri-County Technical College$62,9018Rochester Community and Technical College$61,8709Aiken Technical College$60,43010West Kentucky Community and Technical College$57,596Observed 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.
NO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 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 | Thomas Edison State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Trenton, NJ | $71,291 | $11,312 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 2 | Cerritos CollegeAssociate's Degree | Norwalk, CA | $68,923 | $16,812 | +152% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Central Carolina Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Sumter, SC | $65,183 | Not available | +100% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | Northwest Shoals Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Muscle Shoals, AL | $65,044 | $9,625 | +109% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | University of Arkansas GranthamAssociate's Degree | LIttle Rock, AR | $64,564 | $8,364 | +83% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | Empire State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Saratoga Springs, NY | $62,931 | $14,239 | +58% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | Tri-County Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Pendleton, SC | $62,901 | Not available | +50% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | Rochester Community and Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Rochester, MN | $61,870 | $21,175 | +42% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | Aiken Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Graniteville, SC | $60,430 | Not available | +55% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | West Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Paducah, KY | $57,596 | $10,000 | +25% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | Hennepin Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn Park, MN | $57,519 | $35,439 | +13% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | Raritan Valley Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Branchburg, NJ | $56,274 | $8,178 | +9% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | Gateway Community and Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Florence, KY | $56,000 | $9,000 | +8% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | York Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Rock Hill, SC | $55,176 | $8,250 | -0% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Trident Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Charleston, SC | $54,774 | $12,000 | +5% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | Jefferson Community and Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Louisville, KY | $54,170 | $15,503 | -11% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Orangeburg Calhoun Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Orangeburg, SC | $54,031 | Not available | -12% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Chaffey CollegeAssociate's Degree | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | $54,021 | Not available | -11% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Bishop State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Mobile, AL | $53,809 | Not available | -13% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Santa Ana CollegeAssociate's Degree | Santa Ana, CA | $52,099 | Not available | -26% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Midlands Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | West Columbia, SC | $51,834 | $16,000 | -31% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Maysville Community and Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Maysville, KY | $49,431 | $14,078 | -55% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Mt San Jacinto Community College DistrictAssociate's Degree | San Jacinto, CA | $49,195 | Not available | -60% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Black River Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Pocahontas, AR | $48,685 | $13,360 | -63% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Brookdale Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Lincroft, NJ | $48,587 | $13,000 | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Cossatot Community College of the University of ArkansasAssociate's Degree | De Queen, AR | $47,899 | Not available | -71% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Eastern Arizona CollegeAssociate's Degree | Thatcher, AZ | $47,599 | Not available | -76% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Hinds Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Raymond, MS | $47,536 | $9,848 | -74% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Liberty UniversityAssociate's Degree | Lynchburg, VA | $47,394 | $21,500 | -84% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma CityAssociate's Degree | Oklahoma City, OK | $46,984 | $15,659 | -81% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Tulsa Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Tulsa, OK | $46,639 | $14,014 | -84% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Ashland Community and Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Ashland, KY | $45,500 | $12,719 | -95% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | University of Arkansas at MonticelloAssociate's Degree | Monticello, AR | $44,855 | $15,333 | -101% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | Spartanburg Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Spartanburg, SC | $44,310 | Not available | -107% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | Somerset Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Somerset, KY | $43,528 | $13,023 | -115% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Horry-Georgetown Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Conway, SC | $42,457 | Not available | -126% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | Greenville Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Greenville, SC | $41,636 | $17,814 | -130% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | North Little Rock, AR | $41,292 | $9,125 | -131% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | County College of MorrisAssociate's Degree | Randolph, NJ | $39,829 | $9,500 | -148% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | Piedmont Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Greenwood, SC | $33,140 | $15,551 | -205% | Negative payoff |
| 41 | Lawson State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Birmingham, AL | $29,307 | Not available | -253% | Negative payoff |
| 42 | Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Lexington, KY | Not available | $13,077 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $6,113 |
| 43 | Dakota County Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Rosemount, MN | Not available | $12,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $13,548 |
| 44 | Sinclair Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Dayton, OH | Not available | $10,089 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $5,992 |
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.