ROI Major

Business/Commerce, General at Framingham State University

MA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business/Commerce, General degree from Framingham State University earn a median salary of $72,057 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $48,621. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.3 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

$55,295

Typical Career

$72,057

Top Performers

$92,424

Estimated break-even: 6.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$480

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,005. Most students can comfortably afford about a $480 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Massachusetts buys what costs $1.48 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 19.2%
Educational Services 17.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 10.8%

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

$48,621

Nominal: $72,057 in Massachusetts (COL 148.2% of national avg) · 32.5% 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).

6.3 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 $35,728 $47,160 $58,820
5 Years After Graduation $55,295 $72,057 $92,424
10 Years After Graduation $69,522 $97,446 $129,178

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 $72,057 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MA, which has a cost-of-living index of 148.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $72,057 × (1.0 ÷ 1.4820) = $48,621 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Business/Commerce program at Framingham State University can expect a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $47,160, which increases significantly to $72,057 after five years and reaches $97,446 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $48,621.46 nationally, indicating that while the cost of living in Massachusetts is higher (COL index of 1.482), graduates still see substantial growth in their earnings.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (19.2%), Educational Services (17.0%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (10.8%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 6.3 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the data indicates that a degree in Business/Commerce from Framingham State University can lead to solid financial outcomes and diverse career opportunities.

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 Framingham 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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