ROI Major

Film/Video and Photographic Arts at Augsburg University

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 50.06

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Film/Video and Photographic Arts degree from Augsburg University earn a median salary of $40,093 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $42,607. The degree typically pays for itself in 15.5 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

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

$28,227

Typical Career

$40,093

Top Performers

$51,109

Estimated break-even: 15.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$267

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,341. Most students can comfortably afford about a $267 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 23.2%
Educational Services 16.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 10.5%

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

$42,607

Nominal: $40,093 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% higher 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).

15.5 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 $21,452 $26,659 $38,967
5 Years After Graduation $28,227 $40,093 $51,109
10 Years After Graduation $43,722 $59,848 $78,843

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 $40,093 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $40,093 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $42,607 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Film/Video and Photographic Arts program at Augsburg University experience a steady earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $26,659, which increases to $40,093 after five years and reaches $59,848 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation equate to approximately $42,607 nationally, reflecting a competitive position relative to the cost of living in Minnesota, where the cost of living index is 0.941 compared to the national average of 1.0.

In terms of career pathways, a significant portion of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance (23.2%), Educational Services (16.0%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (10.5%) sectors. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 15.5 years, suggesting a moderate return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, while the earnings potential is promising, students should consider the time required to recoup educational costs relative to their chosen career paths.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Film/Video and Photographic Arts degree at Augsburg 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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