POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 3099

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other: is this post-baccalaureate certificate worth it?

National picture across 1 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$73,514 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.

$73,514Median year-4 earnings
$9,833Average institution net-price context
$18,837Median federal debt
Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$73,514Median reported earnings · year 4
$67,898Average reported earnings · year 5
$18,837Median federal debt
51thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
Not availableIPEDS 2023–24 first-major awards across matched colleges
1With year-4 earnings

The award total covers 0 matched college records and is not extrapolated to colleges without a match.

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.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$66,603
Federal debt
$16,500
Reporting programs
5
3 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$51,834
Federal debt
$13,023
Reporting programs
44
41 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$54,816
Federal debt
$25,687
Reporting programs
227
209 report earnings →
CURRENT VIEW

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$73,514
Federal debt
$18,837
Reporting programs
1
1 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$70,493
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
26
26 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$85,987
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
3
3 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$97,530
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
2
2 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$65,118
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
5
5 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$73,514National median$73,51475th percentile$73,514
1 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.

$73,51475th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$18,837Median federal debt across programs that report it
1Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
FILTER PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Find the colleges that fit your constraints

Keep this exact federal field and credential fixed, then narrow the reporting colleges by location, sector and federal debt.

1 matchesShowing up to 25 currently operating colleges
Open the full program search →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Illinois Springfield$73,514

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.

NO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk links
BEST COLLEGES FOR MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, OTHER

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.

#CollegeLocationEarnings, year 4Federal debtROI statusCost context
1University of Illinois SpringfieldPost-baccalaureate CertificateSpringfield, IL$73,514$18,837Baseline needed$9,833

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.