Statistics: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 52 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$168,241 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
6.0 yrsModeled economic break-even
+66%Modeled 10-year ROI
$87,335Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$87,335Median reported earnings · year 4
$99,218Average reported earnings · year 5
$20,150Median federal debt
84thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
52Reporting programs
50With 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
- $87,034
- Federal debt
- $18,875
- Reporting programs
- 2
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $87,335
- Federal debt
- $20,150
- Reporting programs
- 52
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $128,684
- Federal debt
- $16,041
- Reporting programs
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $129,762
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 18
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$76,556National median$87,33575th percentile$101,353
50 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Harvard University$230,8762Carnegie Mellon University$156,7433Duke University$152,7824University of California, Berkeley$133,9865University of Chicago$130,1896University of Iowa$123,6767Northwestern University$122,6828Cornell University$111,0909University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$109,46610University of California, Los Angeles$109,017Observed 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.
ActuariesSOC 15-2011 · 4 crosswalk linksMathematical Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1022 · 4 crosswalk linksStatisticiansSOC 15-2041 · 4 crosswalk linksData ScientistsSOC 15-2051 · 3 crosswalk linksNatural Sciences ManagersSOC 11-9121 · 3 crosswalk linksMathematiciansSOC 15-2021 · 2 crosswalk linksSurvey ResearchersSOC 19-3022 · 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 | Harvard UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cambridge, MA | $230,876 | Not available | +625% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $156,743 | $21,375 | +263% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Duke UniversityBachelor's Degree | Durham, NC | $152,782 | $13,500 | +261% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | University of California, BerkeleyBachelor's Degree | Berkeley, CA | $133,986 | $16,165 | +280% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | University of ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $130,189 | Not available | +256% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | University of IowaBachelor's Degree | Iowa City, IA | $123,676 | $20,411 | +191% | Strong payoff |
| 7 | Northwestern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Evanston, IL | $122,682 | $14,000 | +162% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | $111,090 | Not available | +124% | Strong payoff |
| 9 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $109,466 | $23,250 | +177% | Strong payoff |
| 10 | University of California, Los AngelesBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $109,017 | $17,005 | +178% | Strong payoff |
| 11 | University of Virginia-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Charlottesville, VA | $108,532 | $18,500 | +139% | Strong payoff |
| 12 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignBachelor's Degree | Champaign, IL | $105,978 | $19,394 | +157% | Strong payoff |
| 13 | Purdue University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | West Lafayette, IN | $104,047 | $19,500 | +148% | Strong payoff |
| 14 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $101,353 | $17,939 | +128% | Strong payoff |
| 15 | George Washington UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $100,578 | Not available | +70% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | $99,210 | $26,000 | +117% | Strong payoff |
| 17 | University of FloridaBachelor's Degree | Gainesville, FL | $98,409 | $14,783 | +159% | Strong payoff |
| 18 | University of California, San DiegoBachelor's Degree | La Jolla, CA | $96,746 | $19,237 | +125% | Strong payoff |
| 19 | Brigham Young UniversityBachelor's Degree | Provo, UT | $96,164 | $10,750 | +111% | Strong payoff |
| 20 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $94,300 | $15,500 | +76% | Positive payoff |
| 21 | Michigan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | East Lansing, MI | $93,930 | $25,625 | +89% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | Emory UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $93,446 | $20,983 | +79% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | University of California, Santa BarbaraBachelor's Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | $90,778 | $17,500 | +87% | Positive payoff |
| 24 | Miami University-OxfordBachelor's Degree | Oxford, OH | $90,388 | $23,875 | +55% | Positive payoff |
| 25 | University of California, DavisBachelor's Degree | Davis, CA | $88,033 | $15,000 | +80% | Positive payoff |
| 26 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | University Park, PA | $86,636 | $22,500 | +34% | Positive payoff |
| 27 | Utah State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Logan, UT | $86,262 | Not available | +72% | Positive payoff |
| 28 | North Carolina State University at RaleighBachelor's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $85,090 | $24,151 | +61% | Positive payoff |
| 29 | The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleBachelor's Degree | Knoxville, TN | $83,697 | Not available | +51% | Positive payoff |
| 30 | University of GeorgiaBachelor's Degree | Athens, GA | $83,092 | $19,306 | +62% | Positive payoff |
| 31 | San Diego State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Diego, CA | $83,076 | $16,047 | +58% | Positive payoff |
| 32 | Central Michigan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Mount Pleasant, MI | $81,853 | Not available | +47% | Positive payoff |
| 33 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $80,993 | $21,750 | +46% | Positive payoff |
| 34 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $80,721 | $24,028 | +29% | Positive payoff |
| 35 | University of California, RiversideBachelor's Degree | Riverside, CA | $78,492 | $21,488 | +41% | Positive payoff |
| 36 | Florida State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Tallahassee, FL | $77,605 | $22,500 | +45% | Positive payoff |
| 37 | University of ConnecticutBachelor's Degree | Storrs, CT | $76,556 | $20,150 | +13% | Positive payoff |
| 38 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusBachelor's Degree | Waterbury, CT | $76,556 | $20,150 | +41% | Positive payoff |
| 39 | University of Connecticut-Avery PointBachelor's Degree | Groton, CT | $76,556 | $20,150 | +34% | Positive payoff |
| 40 | University of Connecticut-StamfordBachelor's Degree | Stamford, CT | $76,556 | $20,150 | +28% | Positive payoff |
| 41 | University of Connecticut-Hartford CampusBachelor's Degree | Hartford, CT | $76,556 | $20,150 | +28% | Positive payoff |
| 42 | University of Central FloridaBachelor's Degree | Orlando, FL | $76,372 | $23,214 | +42% | Positive payoff |
| 43 | University of Missouri-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, MO | $76,037 | $15,451 | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 44 | Grand Valley State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Allendale, MI | $74,229 | $27,000 | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 45 | University of South FloridaBachelor's Degree | Tampa, FL | $74,071 | $17,548 | +33% | Positive payoff |
| 46 | Iowa State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ames, IA | $72,581 | $23,625 | +8% | Positive payoff |
| 47 | University of Minnesota-DuluthBachelor's Degree | Duluth, MN | $71,279 | $22,797 | +3% | Positive payoff |
| 48 | University of Illinois ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $68,585 | $22,945 | +5% | Positive payoff |
| 49 | University of South AlabamaBachelor's Degree | Mobile, AL | $62,719 | $22,532 | -29% | Negative payoff |
| 50 | California State University, FullertonBachelor's Degree | Fullerton, CA | $51,298 | Not available | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 51 | Temple UniversityBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | Not available | $26,816 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $28,198 |
| 52 | Southern Methodist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Dallas, TX | Not available | $19,750 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $40,892 |
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.