ROI Major

Agricultural Public Services at Oklahoma State University

OK · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 01.08

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Agricultural Public Services degree from Oklahoma State University earn a median salary of $56,216 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OK, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $65,216. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.8 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$44,078

Typical Career

$56,216

Top Performers

$71,785

Estimated break-even: 8.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$375

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,685. Most students can comfortably afford about a $375 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 Oklahoma buys what costs $0.86 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 16.0%
Educational Services 15.6%
Health Care & Social Assistance 10.9%

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

$65,216

Nominal: $56,216 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).

8.8 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 $32,516 $42,870 $54,781
5 Years After Graduation $44,078 $56,216 $71,785
10 Years After Graduation $49,855 $74,729 $104,864

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 $56,216 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)
= $56,216 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8620) = $65,216 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Agricultural Public Services program at Oklahoma State University experience a positive earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $42,870, which increases to $56,216 after five years and reaches $74,729 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $65,215.78, indicating that graduates can expect their earnings to maintain a competitive edge relative to the national average despite being in a state with a lower cost of living index.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (16.0%), Educational Services (15.6%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (10.9%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 8.8 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the combination of a solid earnings trajectory and diverse industry opportunities indicates a favorable outlook for students considering this path.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Agricultural Public Services degree at Oklahoma 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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