ROI Major

Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods at Missouri Southern State University

MO · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.13

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods degree from Missouri Southern State University earn a median salary of $52,479 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $58,833. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.9 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

$41,244

Typical Career

$52,479

Top Performers

$70,012

Estimated break-even: 10.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$350

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,373. Most students can comfortably afford about a $350 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Missouri buys what costs $0.89 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 23.3%
Educational Services 20.6%
Manufacturing 8.7%

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

$58,833

Nominal: $52,479 in Missouri (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% 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).

10.9 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 $28,103 $37,592 $48,487
5 Years After Graduation $41,244 $52,479 $70,012
10 Years After Graduation $39,360 $63,610 $80,918

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 $52,479 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MO, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $52,479 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $58,833 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods program at Missouri Southern State University experience a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $37,592, increasing to $52,479 after five years and reaching $63,610 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $58,832.96, indicating that graduates can expect their earnings to maintain a competitive edge in the job market despite regional cost-of-living differences.

The program prepares students for diverse career opportunities, with the top industries being Health Care & Social Assistance (23.3%), Educational Services (20.6%), and Manufacturing (8.7%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 10.9 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, graduates can expect a solid career foundation with favorable long-term financial benefits in various sectors.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods degree at Missouri Southern 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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