ROI Major

Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering at Shawnee State University

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 14.14

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering degree from Shawnee State University earn a median salary of $77,691 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $86,228. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.6 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

$59,848

Typical Career

$77,691

Top Performers

$95,044

Estimated break-even: 5.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$518

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,474. Most students can comfortably afford about a $518 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Manufacturing.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 28.2%
Educational Services 22.7%
Manufacturing 7.1%

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

$86,228

Nominal: $77,691 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).

5.6 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 $36,766 $50,725 $65,669
5 Years After Graduation $59,848 $77,691 $95,044
10 Years After Graduation $78,843 $99,994 $116,700

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 $77,691 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)
= $77,691 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $86,228 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering from Shawnee State University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $50,725, which increases significantly to $77,691 five years post-graduation and reaches $99,994 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $86,227.52, indicating that graduates may experience a favorable financial position relative to the cost of living in Ohio.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (28.2%), Educational Services (22.7%), and Manufacturing (7.1%). This diverse range of sectors suggests a robust job market for graduates. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 5.6 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears favorable, making it a viable option for students interested in environmental health careers.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering degree at Shawnee 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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