ROI Major

Business Administration and Management at Bemidji State University

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from Bemidji State University earn a median salary of $61,397 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $65,247. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.8 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

$48,216

Typical Career

$61,397

Top Performers

$81,090

Estimated break-even: 7.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$409

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,116. Most students can comfortably afford about a $409 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 22.4%
Educational Services 19.6%
Public Administration 11.3%

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

$65,247

Nominal: $61,397 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).

7.8 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 $34,987 $45,894 $59,944
5 Years After Graduation $48,216 $61,397 $81,090
10 Years After Graduation $58,703 $76,996 $105,410

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 $61,397 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)
= $61,397 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $65,247 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Business Administration and Management program at Bemidji State University experience a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $45,894, which increases to $61,397 five years later and reaches $76,996 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $65,246.55 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to their peers across the country, despite Minnesota's cost of living index being slightly lower than the national average.

The program prepares students for diverse career opportunities, with top industries including Health Care & Social Assistance (22.4%), Educational Services (19.6%), and Public Administration (11.3%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 7.8 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the combination of strong earning potential and diverse employment sectors supports a favorable outlook for graduates in the field.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Business Administration and Management degree at Bemidji 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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