ROI Major

Marketing at University of Arizona (The)

AZ · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.14

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Marketing degree from University of Arizona (The) earn a median salary of $82,537 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in AZ, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $77,500. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.1 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$59,877

Typical Career

$82,537

Top Performers

$114,562

Estimated break-even: 5.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$550

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,878. Most students can comfortably afford about a $550 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Arizona buys what costs $1.07 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 15.6%
Educational Services 15.5%
Health Care & Social Assistance 15.4%

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

$77,500

Nominal: $82,537 in Arizona (COL 106.5% of national avg) · 6.1% lower 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).

5.1 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 $40,807 $54,505 $70,870
5 Years After Graduation $59,877 $82,537 $114,562
10 Years After Graduation $76,265 $114,330 $175,923

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 $82,537 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in AZ, which has a cost-of-living index of 106.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $82,537 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0650) = $77,500 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the University of Arizona's Marketing program experience a significant increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $54,505, which rises to $82,537 after five years and reaches $114,330 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $77,499.53, indicating that while graduates earn well, the cost of living in Arizona, with a COL index of 1.065, slightly impacts their purchasing power compared to national averages.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (15.6%), Educational Services (15.5%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (15.4%). The estimated break-even point for graduates, compared to those with only a high school diploma, is approximately 5.1 years. This suggests a favorable return on investment for pursuing a degree in Marketing, as graduates can expect to recoup their educational expenses within a reasonable timeframe while entering diverse and growing sectors.

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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.