ROI Major

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at University of Utah

UT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 05.02

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies degree from University of Utah earn a median salary of $53,022 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in UT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $51,229. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.7 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

$38,082

Typical Career

$53,022

Top Performers

$69,033

Estimated break-even: 10.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$353

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,419. Most students can comfortably afford about a $353 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Utah buys what costs $1.04 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 17.2%
Health Care & Social Assistance 16.9%
Educational Services 14.4%

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

$51,229

Nominal: $53,022 in Utah (COL 103.5% of national avg) · 3.4% 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).

10.7 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 $26,921 $37,794 $48,401
5 Years After Graduation $38,082 $53,022 $69,033
10 Years After Graduation $34,107 $64,402 $93,187

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 $53,022 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in UT, which has a cost-of-living index of 103.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $53,022 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0350) = $51,229 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 Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies from the University of Utah experience a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $37,794, which increases to $53,022 after five years and reaches $64,402 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary is approximately $51,228.99, reflecting the cost of living in Utah, which has a cost-of-living index of 1.035 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (17.2%), Health Care & Social Assistance (16.9%), and Educational Services (14.4%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 10.7 years, indicating a moderate return on investment. Overall, while the degree offers a pathway into diverse fields, prospective students should weigh the earnings potential against the time required to recoup educational expenses.

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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.