Business Administration and Management at Cedar Valley College
TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.02
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from Cedar Valley College earn a median salary of $62,590 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $67,959. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.6 years.
Quick Insights
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
$43,798
Typical Career
$62,590
Top Performers
$89,555
Estimated break-even: 6.6 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$417
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,216. Most students can comfortably afford about a $417 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$67,959
Nominal: $62,590 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).
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 | $43,530 | $59,848 | $78,574 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $43,798 | $62,590 | $89,555 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $52,920 | $71,441 | $89,353 |
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 $62,590 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $62,590 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210)
= $67,959 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, which accounts for 20.3% of employment, followed closely by another segment of the same industry at 19.7%, and Construction at 16.3%. The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 8.6 years, suggesting that while the initial financial returns may be modest, the long-term benefits in terms of career opportunities and earning potential can justify the investment in education.
Compare with Another School
See how the Business Administration and Management degree at Cedar Valley College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
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Other Degrees at Cedar Valley College
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.