Top 50 Best Certificate Programs in Pennsylvania by ROI

Every Certificate program in Pennsylvania ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all majors. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs in Pennsylvania

242

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$177,958

Across all Pennsylvania programs

Average Annual Cost

$24,457

Cost of attendance

#	College	Major	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Avg Debt
1	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	+$3,372,862	$214,930	$85,738	N/A	Full ROI →
2	University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 96.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$1,948,190	$145,038	$85,738	$19,875	Full ROI →
3	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Nuclear Engineering.	+$725,983	$81,957	$36,707	$27,000	Full ROI →
4	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Human Resources Management and Services.	+$725,813	$81,611	$36,707	$22,000	Full ROI →
5	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	International Business.	+$602,493	$75,445	$36,707	$22,000	Full ROI →
6	Montgomery County Community College Grad rate: 23.2%	Criminal Justice and Corrections.	+$598,930	$73,950	$14,571	$18,888	Full ROI →
7	Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences Grad rate: 34.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$496,806	$69,811	$22,775	$27,140	Full ROI →
8	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions.	+$451,108	$67,842	$36,707	$21,500	Full ROI →
9	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$406,473	$64,159	$36,707	N/A	Full ROI →
10	St Lukes Hospital School of Nursing	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$387,222	$62,987	N/A	$24,087	Full ROI →
11	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Business/Commerce, General.	+$376,373	$62,654	$36,707	N/A	Full ROI →
12	Butler County Community College Grad rate: 31.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$313,348	$58,225	$11,152	N/A	Full ROI →
13	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies.	+$288,210	$60,048	$36,707	$26,698	Full ROI →
14	DLP Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Grad rate: 46.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$286,786	$59,578	$26,134	$28,622	Full ROI →
15	Lackawanna College Grad rate: 38.0%	Criminal Justice and Corrections.	+$283,815	$58,451	$28,849	$12,115	Full ROI →
16	Washington Health System School of Nursing	Nursing.	+$276,040	$55,802	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
17	West Chester University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 70.7%	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.	+$266,801	$56,718	$27,559	N/A	Full ROI →
18	Bucks County Community College Grad rate: 26.8%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$264,019	$55,846	$12,901	N/A	Full ROI →
19	UPMC St. Margaret School of Nursing Grad rate: 54.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$247,704	$57,750	$25,446	$31,000	Full ROI →
20	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Communication and Media Studies.	+$241,763	$57,611	$36,707	$25,000	Full ROI →
21	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services.	+$237,395	$57,403	$36,707	$25,154	Full ROI →
22	UPMC Jameson School of Nursing	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$235,500	$56,879	$28,667	$24,750	Full ROI →
23	Western Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing Grad rate: 62.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$220,881	$55,635	$25,326	$19,624	Full ROI →
24	Sharon Regional School of Nursing	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$220,417	$54,693	N/A	$24,772	Full ROI →
25	UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing Grad rate: 50.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$218,898	$56,246	$26,534	$29,250	Full ROI →
26	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$211,533	$54,412	$36,707	N/A	Full ROI →
27	Delaware County Community College Grad rate: 20.2%	Criminal Justice and Corrections.	+$209,659	$54,253	$12,957	$16,625	Full ROI →
28	Citizens School of Nursing Grad rate: 73.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$206,191	$55,338	$27,971	$24,146	Full ROI →
29	Washington Health System School of Nursing	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$205,802	$53,657	N/A	$20,250	Full ROI →
30	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.	+$190,747	$55,081	$36,707	$25,308	Full ROI →
31	UPMC Mercy School of Nursing Grad rate: 56.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$179,450	$54,459	$34,135	$26,366	Full ROI →
32	Community College of Allegheny County Grad rate: 20.9%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$172,311	$53,133	$13,905	$26,995	Full ROI →
33	West Chester University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 70.7%	History.	+$163,601	$51,558	$27,559	N/A	Full ROI →
34	Bucks County Community College Grad rate: 26.8%	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$156,171	$51,579	$12,901	$16,672	Full ROI →
35	Eastern Center for Arts and Technology	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$148,843	$51,766	$26,191	$15,026	Full ROI →
36	Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics Grad rate: 57.8%	Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies.	+$146,066	$52,133	$35,447	$15,664	Full ROI →
37	Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster Grad rate: 62.6%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$141,884	$52,995	$41,566	$27,000	Full ROI →
38	PITC Institute Grad rate: 21.1%	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$138,894	$51,562	$25,020	$20,241	Full ROI →
39	Douglas Education Center Grad rate: 80.8%	Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services.	+$134,796	$50,351	$32,224	N/A	Full ROI →
40	Harrisburg Area Community College Grad rate: 17.9%	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$106,504	$48,157	$16,636	N/A	Full ROI →
41	Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 50.8%	Geography and Cartography.	+$104,747	$50,247	$29,480	$22,750	Full ROI →
42	Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences Grad rate: 34.0%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$85,835	$49,182	$22,775	$25,948	Full ROI →
43	Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Philadelphia Grad rate: 35.8%	Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies.	+$73,724	$49,255	$27,501	$32,500	Full ROI →
44	Community College of Philadelphia Grad rate: 17.7%	Data Processing.	+$57,550	$45,831	$19,070	N/A	Full ROI →
45	New Castle School of Trades Grad rate: 73.4%	Ground Transportation.	+$55,434	$46,010	$14,581	$7,544	Full ROI →
46	Fortis Institute-Forty Fort Grad rate: 54.1%	Ground Transportation.	+$49,812	$46,186	$25,358	$6,333	Full ROI →
47	Fortis Institute-Scranton Grad rate: 44.8%	Ground Transportation.	+$44,021	$46,186	$31,149	$6,333	Full ROI →
48	Franklin County Career and Technology Center Grad rate: 63.3%	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$40,052	$46,138	$22,782	$14,760	Full ROI →
49	York County School of Technology-Adult & Continuing Education Grad rate: 88.0%	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$38,282	$45,770	$17,011	$14,894	Full ROI →
50	Temple University Grad rate: 76.3%	Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.	+$32,381	$45,609	$39,799	N/A	Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.