Community Organization and Advocacy: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Community Organization and Advocacy graduates earn a median $51,936 four years after finishing — $3,576/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 18.9 years. Federal data pools 64 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 1,574 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Community Organization and Advocacy ranks #152 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 25% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern University | IL | $84,712 |
| 2 | Elon University | NC | $64,011 |
| 3 | University of Massachusetts-Boston | MA | $60,440 |
| 4 | Central Michigan University | MI | $58,344 |
| 5 | Empire State University | NY | $56,825 |
| 6 | University of California-Santa Cruz | CA | $56,620 |
| 7 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $55,451 |
| 8 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | $55,451 |
| 9 | Springfield College | MA | $54,080 |
| 10 | Portland State University | OR | $51,066 |
| 11 | California State University-Dominguez Hills | CA | $50,686 |
| 12 | Rasmussen University-Minnesota | MN | $50,315 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.