ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at Northeastern State University

OK · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from Northeastern State University earn a median salary of $70,502 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OK, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $81,789. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.2 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

$55,400

Typical Career

$70,502

Top Performers

$83,697

Estimated break-even: 6.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$470

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,875. Most students can comfortably afford about a $470 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Oklahoma buys what costs $0.86 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 25.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance 19.8%
Public Administration 12.8%

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

$81,789

Nominal: $70,502 in Oklahoma (COL 86.2% of national avg) · 16% 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).

6.2 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 $41,202 $53,211 $63,804
5 Years After Graduation $55,400 $70,502 $83,697
10 Years After Graduation $60,272 $79,032 $103,633

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 $70,502 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OK, which has a cost-of-living index of 86.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $70,502 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8620) = $81,789 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Accounting and Related Services program at Northeastern State University experience a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $53,211, increasing to $70,502 five years post-graduation, and reaching $79,032 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to approximately $81,788.86 nationally, indicating that graduates can expect competitive salaries relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living in Oklahoma.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (25.7%), Health Care & Social Assistance (19.8%), and Public Administration (12.8%). This diverse range of sectors suggests that graduates have various career paths available, enhancing their employment prospects. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 6.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Accounting and Related Services appears favorable, making it a viable option for students considering their future career trajectories.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Accounting and Related Services degree at Northeastern 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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