ROI Major

Mathematics at Christopher Newport University

VA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 27.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Mathematics degree from Christopher Newport University earn a median salary of $64,523 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $62,949. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.5 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

$53,072

Typical Career

$64,523

Top Performers

$86,454

Estimated break-even: 7.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$430

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,377. Most students can comfortably afford about a $430 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 20.3%
Educational Services 18.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 12.0%

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

$62,949

Nominal: $64,523 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% 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).

7.5 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 $29,436 $43,452 $60,647
5 Years After Graduation $53,072 $64,523 $86,454
10 Years After Graduation $59,848 $81,043 $112,246

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 $64,523 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $64,523 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $62,949 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a Mathematics degree from Christopher Newport University show a positive earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $43,452 one year after graduation, increasing to $64,523 after five years, and reaching $81,043 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation are approximately $62,949.27, reflecting a competitive salary relative to national standards, despite Virginia's cost of living index being slightly higher than the national average.

The top industries for Mathematics graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (20.3%), Educational Services (18.9%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (12.0%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 7.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, pursuing a Mathematics degree at Christopher Newport University appears to offer a favorable return on investment, providing graduates with diverse career opportunities and solid long-term financial benefits.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Mathematics degree at Christopher Newport 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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