ROI Major

Audiovisual Communications Technologies at Indiana University - Bloomington

IN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 10.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Audiovisual Communications Technologies degree from Indiana University - Bloomington earn a median salary of $60,590 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $67,024. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.3 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

$35,700

Typical Career

$60,590

Top Performers

$78,090

Estimated break-even: 8.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$404

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,049. Most students can comfortably afford about a $404 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 18.2%
Educational Services 14.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 13.3%

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

$67,024

Nominal: $60,590 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).

8.3 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 $23,688 $33,458 $55,746
5 Years After Graduation $35,700 $60,590 $78,090
10 Years After Graduation $57,619 $88,299 $137,942

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 $60,590 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)
= $60,590 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9040) = $67,024 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Audiovisual Communications Technologies from Indiana University - Bloomington experience a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,458, which increases significantly to $60,590 five years post-graduation and reaches $88,299 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary equates to $67,024.34 nationally, indicating that graduates can expect their earnings to maintain a competitive edge relative to the national average, despite the cost of living index in Indiana being lower at 0.904.

The career paths for graduates predominantly lead to sectors such as Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (18.2%), Educational Services (14.9%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (13.3%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 8.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. Overall, the combination of solid salary growth and diverse employment opportunities suggests a worthwhile commitment to this field of study.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Audiovisual Communications Technologies degree at Indiana University - Bloomington 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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