ROI Major

American Sign Language at Utah Valley University

UT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 16.16

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a American Sign Language degree from Utah Valley University earn a median salary of $44,398 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in UT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $42,897. The degree typically pays for itself in 15.4 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

$33,005

Typical Career

$44,398

Top Performers

$59,037

Estimated break-even: 15.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$296

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,700. Most students can comfortably afford about a $296 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 15.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 14.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.9%

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

$42,897

Nominal: $44,398 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).

15.4 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 $25,326 $33,162 $43,047
5 Years After Graduation $33,005 $44,398 $59,037
10 Years After Graduation $36,766 $55,935 $80,729

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 $44,398 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)
= $44,398 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0350) = $42,897 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 American Sign Language from Utah Valley University can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,162, rising to $44,398 five years post-graduation, and reaching $55,935 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at approximately $42,896.62, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market despite the cost of living in Utah being slightly higher than the national average.

The top industries for American Sign Language graduates include Educational Services (15.9%), Health Care & Social Assistance (14.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.9%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 15.4 years, suggesting that while the initial investment in education may take time to recoup, the long-term benefits in terms of career opportunities and salary growth can be significant. Overall, pursuing a degree in American Sign Language at Utah Valley University presents a reasonable return on investment for students considering this field.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the American Sign Language degree at Utah Valley 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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