ROI Major

Chemistry at Augsburg University

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 40.05

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Chemistry degree from Augsburg University earn a median salary of $67,042 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $71,245. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.3 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

$48,487

Typical Career

$67,042

Top Performers

$96,791

Estimated break-even: 7.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$447

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,587. Most students can comfortably afford about a $447 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 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 23.2%
Educational Services 16.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 10.5%

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

$71,245

Nominal: $67,042 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% 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).

7.3 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 $28,103 $38,509 $51,627
5 Years After Graduation $48,487 $67,042 $96,791
10 Years After Graduation $64,402 $91,987 $117,867

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 $67,042 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $67,042 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $71,245 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 Chemistry from Augsburg University can expect a substantial increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $38,509, which rises to $67,042 five years later and reaches $91,987 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with the national average at approximately $71,245.48, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive income relative to their peers across the country despite Minnesota's lower cost of living index.

The top industries for Chemistry graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (23.2%), Educational Services (16.0%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (10.5%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 7.3 years, suggesting that the investment in education yields a favorable return over time. Overall, a Chemistry degree from Augsburg University appears to provide a solid foundation for entering diverse and growing fields, contributing to a positive long-term financial outlook.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Chemistry degree at Augsburg 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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