College Scorecard · field of study · all U.S. colleges

Is a Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions degree worth the debt?

The figures below lead with the Bachelor's, aggregated across 45 colleges (45 of 45 programs report earnings). Other credential levels are in the table further down.

Median pay · 1 yr after

$33,657

Graduates only, early career.$31,610 two years out.

Median federal debt

$25,793

Federal loans only — not private or Parent PLUS.

Debt vs a year's pay

0.72×

72% of a first year's earnings.

Typical debt is under a year's early-career pay.

The college you pick moves this a lot

The middle 50% of Bachelor's programs in Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions report early-career pay between $30,140 and $36,032 — a spread of $5,892 that depends on the program and who attends it, not the major alone.

25th pct $30,140 median $33,657 75th pct $36,032

By degree level

Each level is a separate decision — more schooling usually means more pay and more debt.

LevelPay · 1yrDebtDebt/pay

Certificate 16 colleges $28,102 $12,959 0.38×

Associate's 40 colleges $27,798 $15,074 0.56×

Bachelor's 45 colleges $33,657 $25,793 0.72×

Master's 200 colleges $42,016 $53,110 1.31×

Doctoral 3 colleges $54,649 $99,250 1.72×

Grad cert. 8 colleges $43,978 $54,992 1.25×

Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

The 15 programs with the highest reported pay one year after completion. This reflects who enrolls and where they live as much as the program itself — it is not a causal quality ranking.

Metropolitan State University MN $47,114 $21,335 debt

Saint Cloud State University MN $43,232 $26,421 debt

University of Pennsylvania PA $39,242 $12,634 debt

Western Washington University WA $38,384 —

Central Michigan University MI $37,986 $28,125 debt

University of Alaska Anchorage AK $37,604 —

Minnesota State University-Mankato MN $37,009 $25,736 debt

Northern Illinois University IL $36,776 $27,787 debt

Columbia Southern University AL $36,507 $25,000 debt

Alvernia University PA $36,365 $32,167 debt

Ohio University-Eastern Campus OH $36,032 $26,000 debt

Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus OH $36,032 $26,000 debt

Ohio University-Southern Campus OH $36,032 $26,000 debt

Ohio University-Lancaster Campus OH $36,032 $26,000 debt

Ohio University-Main Campus OH $36,032 $26,000 debt

What these numbers are — and are not

Every figure here is a median across college programs in Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. It is not a prediction of what you would earn (your college, effort, and local job market vary enormously — see the spread above), not lifetime earnings (it is measured 1–2 years after completion, early career), not proof the major caused the outcome (who enters a field differs by field — selection, not causation), and not a "best majors" ranking: earnings are one dimension of worth, not the whole of it. Teaching and social work pay far less than the fields at the top of this list and matter enormously. Earnings cover federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report.

Also available: structured data (JSON-LD) · plain text · JSON. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release). · explore this field on the official Scorecard