ROI Major

Natural Resources Conservation and Research at Georgia College & State University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 03.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Natural Resources Conservation and Research degree from Georgia College & State University earn a median salary of $60,004 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $66,303. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.9 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

$45,888

Typical Career

$60,004

Top Performers

$77,146

Estimated break-even: 8.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$400

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,000. Most students can comfortably afford about a $400 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 22.6%
Health Care & Social Assistance 20.4%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 10.3%

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

$66,303

Nominal: $60,004 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% 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).

8.9 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 $27,179 $38,756 $49,171
5 Years After Graduation $45,888 $60,004 $77,146
10 Years After Graduation $53,696 $69,917 $85,137

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 $60,004 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $60,004 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $66,303 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Natural Resources Conservation and Research from Georgia College & State University experience a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $38,756, which increases to $60,004 after five years and reaches $69,917 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $66,302.76, indicating that graduates can expect a competitive salary relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living in Georgia.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (22.6%), Health Care & Social Assistance (20.4%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (10.3%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 8.9 years, suggesting that pursuing a degree in this field can lead to a favorable return on investment over time. Overall, students can expect a solid career path with opportunities in various sectors that contribute to both personal and societal benefits.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Natural Resources Conservation and Research degree at Georgia College & 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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