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Gerontology at Ashford University

San Diego, CA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's Degree
43 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
43
Optimistic
43
Base Case
37
Pessimistic
Earnings $33,706/yr (-10% vs median)
AI Risk High (49% exposed)
Job Market Large (41,500 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Gerontology graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $359K $320K $248K
Earnings Multiple 6.8x 6.1x 4.7x
Viable Career Paths 4 of 4 4 of 4 4 of 4
DegreeWorth Score 43 43 37

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition
$52,640
Median Debt at Graduation
$28,750
10.2 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$35,585
6% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Gerontology graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 41,500 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary $105,620 27,400 +17.3% 48%
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists $100,590 9,600 +8.7% 52%
Social scientists and related workers, all other $100,340 3,200 -1.7% 52%
Social work teachers, postsecondary $76,210 1,300 +2.3% 42%

Compare & Explore

Gerontology at Other Schools

University of Maryland Global Campus ($43,840) California State University-Sacramento ($38,461) Kansas State University ($37,623) Bowling Green State University-Main Campus ($33,497)

Other Majors at Ashford University

International Business ($71,369) Business/Managerial Economics ($66,360) Public Administration ($65,503) Business Administration, Management and Operations ($61,466) Management Information Systems and Services ($61,359) Communication and Media Studies ($58,089) Finance and Financial Management Services ($57,566) Political Science and Government ($55,196)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Gerontology at Ashford University?
This program scores 43/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 43 (optimistic) to 37 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Gerontology career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Gerontology graduates retain 4 of 4 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $247,845 (pessimistic) to $358,544 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Gerontology graduates?
The career paths mapped to Gerontology have roughly 41,500 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Gerontology at Ashford University worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 6.1x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 4.7x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.