ROI Major

Business/Commerce, General at Central State University

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business/Commerce, General degree from Central State University earn a median salary of $45,014 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $49,960. The degree typically pays for itself in 16.1 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

$33,101

Typical Career

$45,014

Top Performers

$60,210

Estimated break-even: 16.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$300

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,751. Most students can comfortably afford about a $300 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Administrative & Support Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 19.4%
Health Care & Social Assistance 18.8%
Administrative & Support Services 7.8%

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

$49,960

Nominal: $45,014 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).

16.1 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 $25,380 $34,969 $47,888
5 Years After Graduation $33,101 $45,014 $60,210
10 Years After Graduation $39,387 $53,744 $71,995

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 $45,014 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)
= $45,014 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $49,960 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Business/Commerce, General from Central State University shows a steady increase over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $34,969, rising to $45,014 after five years and reaching $53,744 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national average at $49,960.04, indicating that graduates can expect competitive earnings relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living in Ohio (COL index: 0.901).

Graduates primarily enter industries such as Educational Services (19.4%), Health Care & Social Assistance (18.8%), and Administrative & Support Services (7.8%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 16.1 years, suggesting that while the return on investment may take time to realize, the long-term benefits of a degree in Business/Commerce, General can be significant. Overall, the career prospects and earnings potential indicate a favorable outlook for graduates in this field.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Business/Commerce, General degree at Central 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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