ROI Major

Natural Resources Conservation and Research at Miami University

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 03.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Natural Resources Conservation and Research degree from Miami University earn a median salary of $56,563 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $62,778. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.5 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

$39,758

Typical Career

$56,563

Top Performers

$75,215

Estimated break-even: 9.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$377

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,714. Most students can comfortably afford about a $377 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio 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 20.1%
Educational Services 16.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 12.6%

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

$62,778

Nominal: $56,563 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

9.5 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 $23,292 $32,352 $49,194
5 Years After Graduation $39,758 $56,563 $75,215
10 Years After Graduation $53,873 $74,986 $105,643

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 $56,563 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $56,563 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $62,778 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 Miami University experience a notable earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $32,352, which increases to $56,563 five years later, and further rises to $74,986 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary reflects a national equivalent of $62,778.02, indicating that graduates can expect a competitive salary relative to their peers across the country, especially considering Ohio's cost of living index of 0.901.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (20.1%), Educational Services (16.3%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (12.6%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 9.5 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the career prospects in this field appear promising, with a solid foundation for long-term financial growth and stability.

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 Miami 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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