ROI Major

Computer Software and Media Applications at Belmont College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 11.08

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer Software and Media Applications degree from Belmont College earn a median salary of $34,531 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $38,325. The degree typically pays for itself in 60.5 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$26,493

Typical Career

$34,531

Top Performers

$49,582

Estimated break-even: 60.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$230

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,878. Most students can comfortably afford about a $230 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade, Manufacturing.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 37.4%
Retail Trade 9.3%
Manufacturing 5.9%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$38,325

Nominal: $34,531 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

60.5 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 $18,836 $25,697 $36,215
5 Years After Graduation $26,493 $34,531 $49,582
10 Years After Graduation $26,587 $42,660 $62,322

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 $34,531 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $34,531 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $38,325 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Computer Software and Media Applications program at Belmont College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $25,697, which rises to $34,531 after five years and reaches $42,660 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary reflects a national equivalent of $38,325.19, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth in income over the years.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 72.5% of them finding employment in this field. This trend continues with significant percentages of graduates also entering related roles within the same industry. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 60.5 years, suggesting that while there are opportunities for employment, the return on investment may take a considerable amount of time to realize fully.

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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.