ROI Major

Social Work at Vincennes University

IN · Associate's Degree · CIP 44.07

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Social Work degree from Vincennes University earn a median salary of $39,425 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $43,612. The degree typically pays for itself in 26.9 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

$30,926

Typical Career

$39,425

Top Performers

$48,030

Estimated break-even: 26.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$263

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,285. Most students can comfortably afford about a $263 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Indiana buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 25.7%
Manufacturing 14.8%
Public Administration 10.7%

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

$43,612

Nominal: $39,425 in Indiana (COL 90.4% of national avg) · 10.6% 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).

26.9 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 $19,218 $25,431 $32,481
5 Years After Graduation $30,926 $39,425 $48,030
10 Years After Graduation $41,187 $48,144 $57,619

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 $39,425 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IN, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.4% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $39,425 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9040) = $43,612 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Social Work program at Vincennes University can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $25,431, which rises to $39,425 after five years and reaches $48,144 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $43,611.73, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial outlook improves significantly.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 56.5% of them employed in this field. This trend continues with 32.4% and 25.7% of graduates also finding opportunities in similar industries. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 26.9 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Social Work at Vincennes University appears to be reasonable, particularly for those committed to a career in these essential sectors.

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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.