ROI Major

Architecture and Related Services, Other at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 04.99

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Architecture and Related Services, Other degree from University of Louisiana at Lafayette earn a median salary of $58,221 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $63,078. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.3 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

$47,045

Typical Career

$58,221

Top Performers

$68,854

Estimated break-even: 9.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$388

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,852. Most students can comfortably afford about a $388 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Louisiana buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 22.9%
Educational Services 17.7%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.3%

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

$63,078

Nominal: $58,221 in Louisiana (COL 92.3% of national avg) · 8.3% 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).

9.3 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 $23,699 $35,051 $49,050
5 Years After Graduation $47,045 $58,221 $68,854
10 Years After Graduation $56,700 $71,850 $94,656

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 $58,221 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in LA, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $58,221 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $63,078 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Architecture and Related Services, Other from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $35,051, which increases to $58,221 after five years and reaches $71,850 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $63,078, reflecting a competitive position in the job market despite the lower cost of living in Louisiana (COL index of 0.923).

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (22.9%), Educational Services (17.7%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.3%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 9.3 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, while the initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial benefits and diverse industry opportunities present a compelling case for students considering this field.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Architecture and Related Services, Other degree at University of Louisiana at Lafayette 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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