ROI Major

Film/Video and Photographic Arts at Wright State University

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 50.06

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Film/Video and Photographic Arts degree from Wright State University earn a median salary of $45,171 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $50,134. The degree typically pays for itself in 14.8 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

$33,147

Typical Career

$45,171

Top Performers

$61,332

Estimated break-even: 14.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$301

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,764. Most students can comfortably afford about a $301 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 22.4%
Educational Services 17.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.4%

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

$50,134

Nominal: $45,171 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).

14.8 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 $20,512 $28,130 $36,980
5 Years After Graduation $33,147 $45,171 $61,332
10 Years After Graduation $42,325 $58,363 $80,258

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 $45,171 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)
= $45,171 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $50,134 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Film/Video and Photographic Arts from Wright State University can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $28,130, which rises to $45,171 after five years and reaches $58,363 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted median earnings five years post-graduation are approximately $50,134.3, indicating that graduates may experience a more favorable financial situation compared to the nominal figures.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance (22.4%), Educational Services (17.9%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.4%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 14.8 years. This suggests that while there is a potential for higher earnings over time, students should weigh the long-term financial benefits against the time and investment required for their education.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Film/Video and Photographic Arts degree at Wright 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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