ROI Major

International/Global Studies at University of North Texas

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 30.20

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a International/Global Studies degree from University of North Texas earn a median salary of $58,175 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $63,165. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.9 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

$42,951

Typical Career

$58,175

Top Performers

$74,912

Estimated break-even: 8.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$388

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,848. 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 Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Finance & Insurance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 22.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.5%
Finance & Insurance 10.1%

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

$63,165

Nominal: $58,175 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

8.9 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 $25,849 $35,718 $48,451
5 Years After Graduation $42,951 $58,175 $74,912
10 Years After Graduation $56,514 $78,199 $105,589

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 $58,175 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $58,175 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $63,165 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in International/Global Studies from the University of North Texas can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $35,718, which increases to $58,175 after five years and reaches $78,199 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary is approximately $63,165.04, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite regional cost-of-living differences, particularly in Texas, where the cost-of-living index is 0.921 compared to the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (22.6%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.5%), and Finance & Insurance (10.1%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 8.9 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in International/Global Studies appears favorable. This suggests that graduates can expect to recoup their educational expenses within a reasonable timeframe while entering diverse and growing sectors.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the International/Global Studies degree at University of North Texas 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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