Gerontology: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 14 college programs, at a typical net price.
The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.
What Gerontology pays
Career outlook for Gerontology graduates
The job market for the occupations Gerontology graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | 289,600 | +17.3% | $105,620 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | 165,300 | +8.7% | $100,590 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | 40,800 | -1.7% | $100,340 | Bachelor's degree |
| Social work teachers, postsecondary | 17,100 | +2.3% | $76,210 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Gerontology vs similar majors
How Gerontology stacks up against the closest fields in Interdisciplinary Studies on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Gerontology Interdisciplinary Studies · this major | Human Computer Interaction | Systems Science and Theory | Mathematics and Computer Science | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 26 F | 84 A | 90 A | 92 A |
| ROI verdict | Break-even | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $53,354 | $122,421 | $110,759 | $93,003 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $44,389 | $76,324 | $69,716 | $56,140 |
| ROI vs cost | +1% | +806% | +710% | +502% |
| Typical debt | $29,236 | $36,897 | $25,199 | $21,409 |
| Colleges offering it | 14 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
Gerontology earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Gerontology
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA | Associate's | $61,963 | $19,831 | +555% | Strong return |
| 2 | Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | Associate's | $66,752 | $24,083 | +357% | Strong return |
| 3 | University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA | Certificate | $75,845 | — | +336% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD | Associate's | $58,700 | $25,000 | +157% | Strong return |
| 5 | Capella University Minneapolis, MN | Certificate | $61,369 | — | +128% | Strong return |
| 6 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | Certificate | $74,764 | $66,250 | +92% | Strong return |
| 7 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL | Associate's | $47,812 | — | +43% | Break-even |
| 8 | Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR | Associate's | $49,507 | — | +31% | Break-even |
| 9 | Brenau University Gainesville, GA | Certificate | $55,265 | $34,824 | +16% | Break-even |
| 10 | Pennsylvania Western University California, PA | Associate's | $47,421 | — | -34% | Poor return |
| 11 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH | Associate's | $46,088 | $26,899 | -81% | Poor return |
| 12 | The University of Arizona Global Campus Chandler, AZ | Associate's | $35,585 | $28,750 | -229% | Poor return |
| 13 | Bethune-Cookman University Daytona Beach, FL | Associate's | $35,236 | — | -506% | Poor return |
| 14 | Northwood Technical College Rice Lake, WI | Certificate | $30,644 | $8,250 | -1,297% | Poor return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.