ROI Major

Construction Management at Indiana State University

IN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.20

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Construction Management degree from Indiana State University earn a median salary of $80,540 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $89,093. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.5 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

$60,304

Typical Career

$80,540

Top Performers

$96,791

Estimated break-even: 4.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$537

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,712. Most students can comfortably afford about a $537 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Indiana buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 21.6%
Educational Services 19.7%
Manufacturing 9.6%

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

$89,093

Nominal: $80,540 in Indiana (COL 90.4% of national avg) · 10.6% 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).

4.5 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 $52,872 $67,750 $81,018
5 Years After Graduation $60,304 $80,540 $96,791
10 Years After Graduation $72,928 $94,732 $118,304

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 $80,540 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IN, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.4% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $80,540 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9040) = $89,093 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Construction Management from Indiana State University can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $67,750, which increases to $80,540 after five years and reaches $94,732 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $89,092.92, indicating a favorable financial outlook for graduates in the context of living costs in Indiana, where the cost-of-living index is lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates reflect diverse opportunities, with 21.6% entering Health Care & Social Assistance, 19.7% in Educational Services, and 9.6% in Manufacturing. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 4.5 years, suggesting that the investment in a degree can yield significant returns in a relatively short timeframe. Overall, pursuing a degree in Construction Management at Indiana State University appears to provide a strong return on investment, supported by competitive salaries and a variety of career paths.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Construction Management degree at Indiana 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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