ROI Major

Mathematics at Youngstown State University

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 27.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Mathematics degree from Youngstown State University earn a median salary of $71,155 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $78,973. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.5 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

$49,855

Typical Career

$71,155

Top Performers

$95,790

Estimated break-even: 6.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$474

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,930. Most students can comfortably afford about a $474 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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, Manufacturing.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 24.0%
Educational Services 19.6%
Manufacturing 9.2%

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

$78,973

Nominal: $71,155 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).

6.5 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 $27,237 $45,075 $69,154
5 Years After Graduation $49,855 $71,155 $95,790
10 Years After Graduation $70,557 $92,787 $134,060

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 $71,155 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)
= $71,155 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $78,973 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a Mathematics degree from Youngstown State University can expect a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $45,075, which increases significantly to $71,155 five years post-graduation and reaches $92,787 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to approximately $78,973.36 nationally, suggesting that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market despite regional cost-of-living factors.

The top industries for Mathematics graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (24.0%), Educational Services (19.6%), and Manufacturing (9.2%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 6.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, pursuing a Mathematics degree at Youngstown State University presents a favorable return on investment. This data indicates that graduates can expect to enter stable and growing sectors, enhancing their career prospects and financial stability over time.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Mathematics degree at Youngstown 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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