ROI Major

Audiovisual Communications Technologies at Minneapolis Community and Technical College

MN · Associate's Degree · CIP 10.02

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Audiovisual Communications Technologies degree from Minneapolis Community and Technical College earn a median salary of $40,342 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $42,871. The degree typically pays for itself in 15.8 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$28,319

Typical Career

$40,342

Top Performers

$55,817

Estimated break-even: 15.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$269

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,362. Most students can comfortably afford about a $269 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 31.6%
Public Administration 8.8%
Retail Trade 7.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$42,871

Nominal: $40,342 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% 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).

15.8 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 $21,318 $29,388 $39,496
5 Years After Graduation $28,319 $40,342 $55,817
10 Years After Graduation $43,047 $58,197 $77,631

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 $40,342 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $40,342 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $42,871 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Audiovisual Communications Technologies program at Minneapolis Community and Technical College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $29,388, which increases to $40,342 five years post-graduation and reaches $58,197 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to approximately $42,871.41 nationally, reflecting a competitive salary relative to the cost of living in Minnesota, which has a cost of living index of 0.941 compared to the national average.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 57.2% of them finding employment in this field. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 15.8 years, indicating a significant return on investment over time. Given the strong industry demand and the potential for salary growth, pursuing a degree in Audiovisual Communications Technologies appears to offer a viable career path for students.

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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.