POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 4304

Security Science and Technology: is this post-baccalaureate certificate worth it?

National picture across 1 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

Not available 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.

Not availableMedian year-4 earnings
$36,967Average institution net-price context
$27,000Median federal debt
Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →
A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Security Science and Technology

How much do Security Science and Technology post-baccalaureate certificate graduates earn?

The current federal release does not provide a reportable national earnings median for this degree.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $27,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Security Science and Technology?

Outcomes can differ by college, but the current reporting cohort is not large enough to publish a reliable middle-half range.

What careers are related to Security Science and Technology?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

Not availableMedian reported earnings · year 4
Not availableAverage reported earnings · year 5
$27,000Median federal debt
1thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
Not availableIPEDS 2023–24 first-major awards across matched colleges
0With 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
$64,856
Federal debt
$29,333
Reporting programs
5
4 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$41,327
Federal debt
$12,000
Reporting programs
9
7 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$57,447
Federal debt
$25,432
Reporting programs
49
48 report earnings →
CURRENT VIEW

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
Not available
Federal debt
$27,000
Reporting programs
1
0 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$86,344
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
35
35 report 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.

Not available75th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$27,000Median federal debt across programs that report it
0Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Narrow one field and credential by location, sector and debt, then compare two to four programs side by side.

1 matchesSelect up to four · showing 25 currently operating colleges
Open the full program search →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Salve Regina UniversityNot available

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Related occupations, wages and demand

Official CIP–SOC links show where this field can lead. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same occupation.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary$76,590 median wage13,150 U.S. jobs · SOC 25-1111+1.5% projected employment, 2025–35 · 1.1k annual openingsTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$45,000$140,240 10th–90th percentileDetectives and Criminal Investigators$93,790 median wage114,430 U.S. jobs · SOC 33-3021+0.2% projected employment, 2025–35 · 7.8k annual openingsTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$55,390$160,540 10th–90th percentileFirst-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$106,040 median wage154,610 U.S. jobs · SOC 33-1012+3.3% projected employment, 2025–35 · 10.6k annual openingsTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$63,350$165,110 10th–90th percentileFirst-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other$76,400 median wage20,690 U.S. jobs · SOC 33-1099+1.9% projected employment, 2025–35 · 1.7k annual openingsTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$41,110$103,420 10th–90th percentileForensic Science Technicians$72,060 median wage19,120 U.S. jobs · SOC 19-4092+13.3% projected employment, 2025–35 · 2.8k annual openingsTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,250$117,250 10th–90th percentileLife, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$62,280 median wage73,910 U.S. jobs · SOC 19-4099+4.4% projected employment, 2025–35 · 11.2k annual openingsTypical entry education: Associate's degree$39,000$102,690 10th–90th percentileFirst-Line Supervisors of Security Workers$55,940 median wage81,480 U.S. jobs · SOC 33-1091+3.7% projected employment, 2025–35 · 6.8k annual openingsTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$37,300$92,260 10th–90th percentilePrivate Detectives and Investigators$51,220 median wage35,580 U.S. jobs · SOC 33-9021+5.5% projected employment, 2025–35 · 3.2k annual openingsTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$36,740$97,630 10th–90th percentileSpecial ForcesUnreported U.S. jobs · SOC 55-3018Special Forces OfficersUnreported U.S. jobs · SOC 55-1017Managers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 U.S. jobs · SOC 11-9199+4.9% projected employment, 2025–35 · 100.9k annual openingsTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300$238,270 10th–90th percentileInformation Security Analysts$129,180 median wage190,650 U.S. jobs · SOC 15-1212+21.0% projected employment, 2025–35 · 14.1k annual openingsTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$75,090$199,850 10th–90th percentile

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 employment projections. Career context is separate from graduate outcomes.

BEST COLLEGES FOR SECURITY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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
1Salve Regina UniversityPost-baccalaureate CertificateNewport, RINot available$27,000Baseline needed$36,967

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.