Gerontology Degree
Students study the biological, psychological, and social aspects of aging, including elder care systems, retirement planning, age-related diseases, and policies affecting older adults. Graduates typically pursue careers in senior living administration, healthcare management, social services for the elderly, geriatric care management, and aging-related policy organizations. With the baby boomer generation aging, demand for gerontology professionals is growing rapidly.
What Gerontology Graduates Do
Your work will focus on one of society's most significant trends: the aging population. Many graduates pursue advanced degrees to enter research or academia. As a medical scientist, you might run clinical trials for new dementia treatments or analyze cellular changes associated with aging. As a social scientist, you could be modeling the economic impact of longer lifespans for a government agency. Others find their place in the university classroom, teaching future nurses and social workers how to provide compassionate, effective care for older adults.
These career paths typically begin with research assistant or teaching assistant roles while pursuing a master's or Ph.D., progressing to lead scientist or tenured professor. While the demand for health specialties educators is growing rapidly, some niche social science roles face headwinds. AI will become a significant partner in your work, automating routine data analysis and literature reviews. This won't eliminate your job, but it will change it, shifting your focus toward complex research design, interpreting nuanced findings, and providing the human judgment that algorithms lack.
Common Career Paths
Where Gerontology graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 41,500 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | 27,400 | +17.3% | 48% | |
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | 9,600 | +8.7% | 52% | |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | 3,200 | -1.7% | 52% | |
| Social work teachers, postsecondary | 1,300 | +2.3% | 42% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Gerontology
5 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD |
53 49–53 |
$43,840/yr | 17.4x |
| 2 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA |
50 49–51 |
$38,461/yr | 19.4x |
| 3 | Kansas State University Manhattan, KS |
48 47–48 |
$37,623/yr | 14.3x |
| 4 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH |
29 30–29 |
$33,497/yr | 7.2x |
| 5 | Ashford University San Diego, CA |
25 26–26 |
$33,706/yr | 5.8x |
Highest Earning Gerontology Programs
Schools where Gerontology graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland Global Campus | $43,840/yr | 53 |
| California State University-Sacramento | $38,461/yr | 50 |
| Kansas State University | $37,623/yr | 48 |
| Ashford University | $33,706/yr | 25 |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | $33,497/yr | 29 |
Best ROI for Gerontology
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Gerontology.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Sacramento | 19.4x | $38,461/yr | 50 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus | 17.4x | $43,840/yr | 53 |
| Kansas State University | 14.3x | $37,623/yr | 48 |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 7.2x | $33,497/yr | 29 |
| Ashford University | 5.8x | $33,706/yr | 25 |
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