Top 50 Best Post-baccalaureate Certificate Programs in the US by ROI

The 50 highest return-on-investment Post-baccalaureate Certificate programs in America — ranked by estimated 20-year net ROI across all majors and states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

#	College	Major	State	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost
1	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.	PA	+$3,756,313	$231,651	$36,707	Full ROI →
2	San Francisco State University Grad rate: 52.2%	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions.	CA	+$1,808,974	$134,876	$25,258	Full ROI →
3	Graceland University-Lamoni Grad rate: 43.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	IA	+$1,443,630	$116,524	$46,850	Full ROI →
4	Bentley University Grad rate: 88.1%	Finance and Financial Management Services.	MA	+$1,154,798	$103,594	$77,082	Full ROI →
5	CUNY Hunter College Grad rate: 58.7%	Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language.	NY	+$1,119,590	$98,645	$13,310	Full ROI →
6	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies.	PA	+$987,035	$94,866	$36,707	Full ROI →
7	Iona University Grad rate: 57.0%	International Business.	NY	+$977,744	$93,754	$57,336	Full ROI →
8	Bentley University Grad rate: 88.1%	Accounting and Related Services.	MA	+$948,398	$93,274	$77,082	Full ROI →
9	University of Louisville Grad rate: 61.4%	Criminal Justice and Corrections.	KY	+$809,175	$84,903	$30,843	Full ROI →
10	California State University-Long Beach Grad rate: 71.3%	Curriculum and Instruction.	CA	+$767,330	$81,382	$20,310	Full ROI →
11	Johns Hopkins University Grad rate: 94.3%	Public Health.	MD	+$742,402	$84,417	$81,300	Full ROI →
12	California State University-Long Beach Grad rate: 71.3%	Public Administration.	CA	+$740,830	$80,057	$20,310	Full ROI →
13	Johns Hopkins University Grad rate: 94.3%	Health and Medical Administrative Services.	MD	+$735,840	$82,857	$81,300	Full ROI →
14	American International College Grad rate: 39.8%	Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions.	MA	+$670,517	$78,299	$55,463	Full ROI →
15	Western Governors University Grad rate: 50.6%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	UT	+$666,976	$76,072	$14,464	Full ROI →
16	Emory University Grad rate: 90.9%	Public Health.	GA	+$652,946	$78,588	$78,814	Full ROI →
17	Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science	Health/Medical Preparatory Programs.	CA	+$624,864	$76,950	$33,973	Full ROI →
18	Columbia Southern University Grad rate: 35.0%	Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians.	AL	+$623,698	$74,085	$18,002	Full ROI →
19	California State University-San Bernardino Grad rate: 54.5%	Student Counseling and Personnel Services.	CA	+$593,590	$72,525	$16,910	Full ROI →
20	Ball State University Grad rate: 63.6%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	IN	+$584,666	$72,490	$25,134	Full ROI →
21	Johns Hopkins University Grad rate: 94.3%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	MD	+$582,180	$75,174	$81,300	Full ROI →
22	Alliant International University-San Diego Grad rate: 17.1%	Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education.	CA	+$575,034	$72,185	N/A	Full ROI →
23	Johns Hopkins University Grad rate: 94.3%	Special Education and Teaching.	MD	+$546,780	$73,404	$81,300	Full ROI →
24	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Grad rate: 93.2%	Public Health.	MI	+$498,543	$70,041	$33,345	Full ROI →
25	Southern Methodist University Grad rate: 82.8%	Graphic Communications.	TX	+$492,768	$70,765	$82,532	Full ROI →
26	New York Institute of Technology Grad rate: 55.4%	Public Health.	NY	+$462,375	$67,800	$53,625	Full ROI →
27	Virginia Commonwealth University Grad rate: 64.9%	Accounting and Related Services.	VA	+$459,814	$66,708	$34,346	Full ROI →
28	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Grad rate: 71.8%	Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology.	OH	+$459,707	$67,707	$28,783	Full ROI →
29	American International College Grad rate: 39.8%	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.	MA	+$439,957	$66,771	$55,463	Full ROI →
30	Northwestern University Grad rate: 96.2%	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.	IL	+$439,024	$69,645	$87,804	Full ROI →
31	New York Medical College	Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other.	NY	+$410,760	$62,538	N/A	Full ROI →
32	Portland State University Grad rate: 52.9%	Accounting and Related Services.	OR	+$393,591	$62,802	$22,449	Full ROI →
33	Regis University Grad rate: 63.8%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	CO	+$354,731	$62,481	$54,889	Full ROI →
34	Harvard University Grad rate: 97.5%	Student Counseling and Personnel Services.	MA	+$351,758	$63,730	$82,842	Full ROI →
35	American International College Grad rate: 39.8%	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.	MA	+$338,757	$61,711	$55,463	Full ROI →
36	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Grad rate: 83.1%	Special Education and Teaching.	MA	+$329,331	$60,136	$33,389	Full ROI →
37	Salem University Grad rate: 27.8%	Educational Administration and Supervision.	WV	+$320,149	$60,253	$21,792	Full ROI →
38	American International College Grad rate: 39.8%	Special Education and Teaching.	MA	+$300,177	$59,782	$55,463	Full ROI →
39	University of Delaware Grad rate: 79.2%	Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services.	DE	+$287,258	$59,592	$29,347	Full ROI →
40	Post University Grad rate: 33.8%	Accounting and Related Services.	CT	+$279,038	$57,312	$27,202	Full ROI →
41	University of Illinois Springfield Grad rate: 57.2%	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.	IL	+$274,707	$58,189	$23,643	Full ROI →
42	University of Hawaii at Manoa Grad rate: 62.5%	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.	HI	+$222,050	$55,763	$23,832	Full ROI →
43	Western Governors University Grad rate: 50.6%	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.	UT	+$221,476	$53,797	$14,464	Full ROI →
44	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Grad rate: 83.1%	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.	MA	+$216,111	$54,475	$33,389	Full ROI →
45	University of Hawaii at Manoa Grad rate: 62.5%	Special Education and Teaching.	HI	+$209,248	$55,544	$23,832	Full ROI →
46	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Grad rate: 62.1%	Special Education and Teaching.	OH	+$195,688	$54,976	$29,238	Full ROI →
47	Columbia University in the City of New York Grad rate: 95.1%	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.	NY	+$191,636	$58,394	$86,042	Full ROI →
48	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Grad rate: 75.7%	Nutrition Sciences.	OK	+$184,897	$54,374	$28,833	Full ROI →
49	Ball State University Grad rate: 63.6%	Special Education and Teaching.	IN	+$180,386	$52,276	$25,134	Full ROI →
50	Florida State University Grad rate: 83.9%	Library Science and Administration.	FL	+$173,443	$53,596	$23,683	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.

Find the Best Post-baccalaureate Certificate by State

Browse the highest ROI Post-baccalaureate Certificate programs ranked in every US state.