ROI Major

Physics at University of Toledo

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 40.08

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Physics degree from University of Toledo earn a median salary of $67,254 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $74,644. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.3 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$43,497

Typical Career

$67,254

Top Performers

$92,587

Estimated break-even: 7.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$448

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,605. Most students can comfortably afford about a $448 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 21.6%
Educational Services 13.6%
Manufacturing 13.3%

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

$74,644

Nominal: $67,254 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

7.3 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 $20,633 $39,425 $58,363
5 Years After Graduation $43,497 $67,254 $92,587
10 Years After Graduation $68,626 $89,177 $124,951

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 $67,254 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $67,254 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $74,644 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a Physics degree from the University of Toledo can expect a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $39,425, which increases significantly to $67,254 after five years and reaches $89,177 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation are equivalent to $74,643.73 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in terms of real income despite the cost of living in Ohio being slightly lower than the national average.

The top industries for Physics graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (21.6%), Educational Services (13.6%), and Manufacturing (13.3%), showcasing diverse career opportunities. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 7.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Physics appears favorable. This suggests that students can expect to recoup their educational expenses and benefit from higher earnings in the long term.

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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.