ROI Major

Marketing at Arizona State University

AZ · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.14

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Marketing degree from Arizona State University earn a median salary of $78,304 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in AZ, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $73,525. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.6 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$57,525

Typical Career

$78,304

Top Performers

$104,525

Estimated break-even: 5.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$522

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,525. Most students can comfortably afford about a $522 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Arizona buys what costs $1.07 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 14.8%
Health Care & Social Assistance 14.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 12.7%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$73,525

Nominal: $78,304 in Arizona (COL 106.5% of national avg) · 6.1% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

5.6 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $38,350 $50,691 $65,812
5 Years After Graduation $57,525 $78,304 $104,525
10 Years After Graduation $73,188 $106,346 $155,237

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $78,304 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in AZ, which has a cost-of-living index of 106.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $78,304 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0650) = $73,525 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from Arizona State University’s Marketing program experience a significant increase in earnings over time. The median salary one year after graduation is $50,691, which rises to $78,304 five years later and reaches $106,346 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $73,524.88 nationally, indicating that while the cost of living in Arizona is slightly higher (COL index of 1.065), the long-term financial benefits of a marketing degree remain substantial.

The top industries for ASU marketing graduates include Educational Services (14.8%), Health Care & Social Assistance (14.0%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (12.7%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 5.6 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a marketing degree at ASU appears favorable. This trajectory suggests that graduates can expect not only to recoup their educational expenses but also to achieve a solid financial footing in their careers.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Marketing degree at Arizona State University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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