Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 22 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$216,599 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.
—Modeled economic break-even
−191%Modeled 10-year ROI
$34,656Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$34,656Median reported earnings · year 4
$33,779Average reported earnings · year 5
$9,247Median federal debt
9thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
22Reporting programs
21With 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
- $44,558
- Federal debt
- $15,125
- Reporting programs
- 5
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $34,656
- Federal debt
- $9,247
- Reporting programs
- 22
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $50,806
- Federal debt
- $26,221
- Reporting programs
- 394
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $61,003
- Federal debt
- $24,485
- Reporting programs
- 6
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $62,562
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 289
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $93,737
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 9
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $72,868
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 8
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $60,127
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 8
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$32,227National median$34,65675th percentile$37,043
21 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute$44,1312Ohio State University-Main Campus$44,1313Northwest Vista College$43,8594Laredo College$43,7155Copiah-Lincoln Community College$38,7856Seminary Bnos Chaim$37,0437Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City$36,7718Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College$35,4209Moberly Area Community College$35,22310Itawamba Community College$34,783Observed 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.
Education Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1081 · 33 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 30 crosswalk linksMiddle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2022 · 28 crosswalk linksCareer/Technical Education Teachers, Middle SchoolSOC 25-2023 · 8 crosswalk linksCareer/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolSOC 25-2032 · 8 crosswalk linksCareer/Technical Education Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1194 · 7 crosswalk linksForeign Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1124 · 5 crosswalk linksArt, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1121 · 3 crosswalk linksAgricultural Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1041 · 2 crosswalk linksAtmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1051 · 2 crosswalk linksBiological Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1042 · 2 crosswalk linksBusiness Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1011 · 2 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 | Ohio State University Agricultural Technical InstituteAssociate's Degree | Wooster, OH | $44,131 | Not available | -107% | Negative payoff |
| 2 | Ohio State University-Main CampusAssociate's Degree | Columbus, OH | $44,131 | Not available | -107% | Negative payoff |
| 3 | Northwest Vista CollegeAssociate's Degree | San Antonio, TX | $43,859 | Not available | -112% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | Laredo CollegeAssociate's Degree | Laredo, TX | $43,715 | Not available | -113% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | Copiah-Lincoln Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Wesson, MS | $38,785 | Not available | -164% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Seminary Bnos ChaimAssociate's Degree | Lakewood, NJ | $37,043 | Not available | -159% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Metropolitan Community College-Kansas CityAssociate's Degree | Kansas City, MO | $36,771 | $7,199 | -177% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Perkinston, MS | $35,420 | $9,247 | -192% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Moberly Area Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Moberly, MO | $35,223 | Not available | -194% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Itawamba Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Fulton, MS | $34,783 | Not available | -203% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Crowder CollegeAssociate's Degree | Neosho, MO | $34,656 | $6,000 | -196% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Mineral Area CollegeAssociate's Degree | Park Hills, MO | $34,552 | $11,362 | -192% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Ozarks Technical Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Springfield, MO | $34,352 | $10,119 | -203% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Three Rivers CollegeAssociate's Degree | Poplar Bluff, MO | $34,035 | $9,000 | -202% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | San Antonio CollegeAssociate's Degree | San Antonio, TX | $33,485 | Not available | -216% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Seminar L'moros Bais YaakovAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $32,227 | Not available | -193% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | St Charles Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Cottleville, MO | $30,667 | Not available | -241% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Jones County Junior CollegeAssociate's Degree | Ellisville, MS | $28,737 | Not available | -259% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Coahoma Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Clarksdale, MS | $25,639 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 20 | Bnos Zion Of Bobov SeminaryAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $20,005 | Not available | -308% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Associated Beth Rivkah SchoolsAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $19,516 | Not available | -288% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | University of HartfordAssociate's Degree | West Hartford, CT | Not available | $12,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $30,282 |
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.