ROI Major

Marketing at University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

MA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.14

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Marketing degree from University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth earn a median salary of $71,102 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $47,977. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.5 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

$51,332

Typical Career

$71,102

Top Performers

$92,704

Estimated break-even: 6.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$474

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,925. Most students can comfortably afford about a $474 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Massachusetts buys what costs $1.48 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 24.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 14.7%
Educational Services 10.6%

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

$47,977

Nominal: $71,102 in Massachusetts (COL 148.2% of national avg) · 32.5% 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).

6.5 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 $34,627 $45,565 $56,493
5 Years After Graduation $51,332 $71,102 $92,704
10 Years After Graduation $73,014 $97,324 $131,944

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 $71,102 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MA, which has a cost-of-living index of 148.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $71,102 × (1.0 ÷ 1.4820) = $47,977 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 Massachusetts - Dartmouth who pursue a degree in Marketing can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $45,565, which increases significantly to $71,102 five years post-graduation and reaches $97,324 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the five-year salary adjusted for cost of living is approximately $47,977.06, reflecting the financial implications of living in Massachusetts, where the cost of living index is 1.482 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for Marketing graduates from this institution include Health Care & Social Assistance (24.2%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (14.7%), and Educational Services (10.6%). With an estimated break-even point of around 6.5 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for a Marketing degree appears favorable. This suggests that graduates can expect to recoup their educational costs 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.