ROI Major

Finance and Financial Management Services at Utah State University

UT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.08

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Finance and Financial Management Services degree from Utah State University earn a median salary of $87,926 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in UT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $84,953. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.8 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$66,822

Typical Career

$87,926

Top Performers

$116,510

Estimated break-even: 4.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$586

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,327. Most students can comfortably afford about a $586 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x 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: Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Health Care & Social Assistance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 23.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 15.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 13.4%

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

$84,953

Nominal: $87,926 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).

4.8 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 $43,656 $56,210 $68,117
5 Years After Graduation $66,822 $87,926 $116,510
10 Years After Graduation $93,668 $128,608 $190,460

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 $87,926 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)
= $87,926 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0350) = $84,953 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Finance and Financial Management Services from Utah State University experience a significant earnings trajectory over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $56,210, which increases to $87,926 five years post-graduation and reaches $128,608 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the five-year salary adjusted for national equivalence is approximately $84,952.66, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market despite a slightly higher cost of living in Utah (COL index: 1.035).

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (23.9%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (15.3%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (13.4%). This diverse range of sectors reflects the versatility of a finance degree. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 4.8 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears favorable, suggesting that graduates can expect a solid financial payoff over time.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Finance and Financial Management Services degree at Utah State University 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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