ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at Eastern Mennonite University

VA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from Eastern Mennonite University earn a median salary of $67,426 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $65,781. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.7 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

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

$54,404

Typical Career

$67,426

Top Performers

$81,941

Estimated break-even: 6.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$450

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,619. Most students can comfortably afford about a $450 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 37.3%
Educational Services 17.7%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 6.1%

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

$65,781

Nominal: $67,426 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).

6.7 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 $36,766 $49,035 $61,827
5 Years After Graduation $54,404 $67,426 $81,941
10 Years After Graduation $60,837 $87,772 $105,332

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 $67,426 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)
= $67,426 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $65,781 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Accounting and Related Services program at Eastern Mennonite University can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $49,035, which increases to $67,426 after five years and reaches $87,772 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $65,781.46, indicating that while the cost of living in Virginia is slightly higher than the national average, graduates still maintain a competitive earning potential over time.

In terms of career placement, a significant portion of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector (37.3%), followed by Educational Services (17.7%) and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (6.1%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 6.7 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the combination of strong earnings growth and diverse industry opportunities supports a positive outlook for students considering this field.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Accounting and Related Services degree at Eastern Mennonite 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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