ROI Major

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management at Southwestern Oklahoma State University

OK · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 31.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University earn a median salary of $52,920 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OK, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $61,392. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.2 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

$40,288

Typical Career

$52,920

Top Performers

$70,062

Estimated break-even: 10.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$353

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,410. Most students can comfortably afford about a $353 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 33.8%
Educational Services 22.9%
Public Administration 7.0%

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

$61,392

Nominal: $52,920 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).

10.2 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 $29,520 $40,254 $54,386
5 Years After Graduation $40,288 $52,920 $70,062
10 Years After Graduation $51,929 $65,986 $87,070

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 $52,920 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)
= $52,920 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8620) = $61,392 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management program at Southwestern Oklahoma State University experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $40,254, increasing to $52,920 after five years, and reaching $65,986 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $61,392.11, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to the national market despite the lower cost of living in Oklahoma.

The top industries for graduates highlight diverse career opportunities, with 33.8% entering Health Care & Social Assistance, 22.9% in Educational Services, and 7.0% in Public Administration. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 10.2 years, suggesting a moderate return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, while the program offers a solid foundation for entering various sectors, prospective students should weigh the time and financial commitment against their long-term career goals.

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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.