Compare my options
Put your real options side by side.
A degree at a specific college, a two-year program, or going straight into a career. See the time, the typical debt, and what people earn after.
What this compares
- Degrees and programs: what graduates who received federal aid typically earned 1 and 4 years after finishing, and their typical federal loan debt. Pick a college to see that college's program; otherwise it's the typical program nationwide.
- Careers: median pay for all workers at every experience level, and the lower quarter, which is closer to where many people start. That is not early-career pay, so read it next to the programs with care.
- Debt in months of pay: typical debt divided by monthly pay four years out, before taxes. A rough sense of weight, not a repayment plan.
- Program names are written plainly; each one is a single College Scorecard field of study (for example, “Dental hygiene and dental assisting” is Dental Support Services and Allied Professions).
- Not included: grants and scholarships you'd get, living costs, taxes, loan interest, and parent or private loans. For one college's real price, use its net price calculator.
Compare careers or degrees in more detail → Estimate a degree's payback → Compare aid offers →