Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at University of Southern Maine
ME · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 05.02
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies degree from University of Southern Maine earn a median salary of $41,501 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in ME, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $36,468. The degree typically pays for itself in 25 years.
Quick Insights
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
$30,437
Typical Career
$41,501
Top Performers
$49,464
Estimated break-even: 25 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$277
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,458. Most students can comfortably afford about a $277 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Maine buys what costs $1.14 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Finance & Insurance.
Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work
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
$36,468
Nominal: $41,501 in Maine (COL 113.8% of national avg) · 12.1% 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).
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 | $28,103 | $39,342 | $64,402 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $30,437 | $41,501 | $49,464 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $27,453 | $46,663 | $62,446 |
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 $41,501 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in ME, which has a cost-of-living index of 113.8% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $41,501 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1380)
= $36,468 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance (29.2%), Educational Services (13.7%), and Finance & Insurance (9.0%). While the earnings trajectory shows a positive trend, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 25 years, indicating a long-term return on investment. Students should weigh these factors carefully when considering their career paths, as the financial benefits may take significant time to materialize.
AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.
Compare with Another School
See how the Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies degree at University of Southern Maine 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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