Community Organization and Advocacy: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 44.02. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 250 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 45 | 200 | $37,577 | $48,126 | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 34 | 241 | $35,780 | $44,066 | $20,082 4 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 85 | 1,615 | $45,679 | $51,936 | $29,223 16 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 4 | 0 | $108,607 | Data unavailable | $20,000 1 programs |
| Master's degree | 41 | 472 | $59,061 | $67,597 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 6 | 25 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 34 | 98 | $58,339 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire State University NY · Public · 34 graduates measured | $55,231 | $55,084 | $23,114 |
| CUNY Bronx Community College NY · Public · 17 graduates measured | $38,879 | $58,739 | Data unavailable |
| Des Moines Area Community College IA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $33,394 | $49,886 | $23,433 |
| CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College NY · Public · 73 graduates measured | $33,274 | $43,706 | $9,250 |
| Jefferson Community College NY · Public · 18 graduates measured | $26,362 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $59,046 | $84,712 | $14,428 |
| Empire State University NY · Public · 473 graduates measured | $52,995 | $56,825 | $30,500 |
| Springfield College MA · Private, nonprofit · 180 graduates measured | $49,629 | $54,080 | $41,525 |
| Springfield College-Regional Online and Continuing Education MA · Private, nonprofit · 180 graduates measured | $49,629 | $54,080 | $41,525 |
| Central Michigan University MI · Public · 149 graduates measured | $48,581 | $58,344 | $37,997 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 70 graduates measured | $46,881 | $55,451 | $28,196 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 70 graduates measured | $46,881 | $55,451 | $28,196 |
| Albertus Magnus College CT · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $46,334 | $62,035 | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh WI · Public · 48 graduates measured | $44,702 | $46,812 | $25,000 |
| Portland State University OR · Public · 28 graduates measured | $44,203 | $51,066 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Santa Cruz CA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $43,689 | $56,620 | $12,313 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ · Private, for-profit · 365 graduates measured | $43,603 | $40,810 | $49,059 |
| University of Phoenix-California · Private, for-profit · 365 graduates measured | $43,603 | $40,810 | $49,059 |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills CA · Public · 150 graduates measured | $43,138 | $50,686 | $13,000 |
| Grand Canyon University AZ · Private, for-profit · 478 graduates measured | $41,957 | $46,973 | $43,834 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $163,221 | $168,632 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $80,894 | $84,981 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $80,894 | $84,981 | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis IN · Public · 32 graduates measured | $67,270 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Springfield College MA · Private, nonprofit · 54 graduates measured | $61,913 | $61,633 | Data unavailable |
| Springfield College-Regional Online and Continuing Education MA · Private, nonprofit · 54 graduates measured | $61,913 | $61,633 | Data unavailable |
| Metropolitan State University MN · Public · 32 graduates measured | $59,532 | $70,849 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 65 graduates measured | $57,316 | $66,044 | Data unavailable |
| Capella University MN · Private, for-profit · 125 graduates measured | $55,391 | $53,197 | Data unavailable |
| Merrimack College MA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $54,254 | $55,217 | Data unavailable |
| Clark University MA · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $50,452 | $61,101 | Data unavailable |
| Vanderbilt University TN · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $47,914 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Murray State University KY · Public · 23 graduates measured | $46,396 | $51,766 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| DePaul University IL · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $72,188 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Community Organization and Advocacy
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and community service managers | $80,390 | +7.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Community and social service specialists, all other | $56,730 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs | $54,210 | +1.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 44.0201 Community Organization and Advocacy