ROI Major

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services at Bowling Green State University

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Communication Disorders Sciences and Services degree from Bowling Green State University earn a median salary of $58,170 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $64,562. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.8 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

$45,779

Typical Career

$58,170

Top Performers

$73,570

Estimated break-even: 10.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$388

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,848. Most students can comfortably afford about a $388 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 23.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 16.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.3%

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

$64,562

Nominal: $58,170 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).

10.8 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 $19,630 $26,221 $35,274
5 Years After Graduation $45,779 $58,170 $73,570
10 Years After Graduation $49,611 $64,978 $80,958

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 $58,170 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)
= $58,170 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $64,562 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Communication Disorders Sciences and Services from Bowling Green State University experience a notable earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $26,221, which increases to $58,170 five years post-graduation, and further to $64,978 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $64,561.60, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to the national average despite being in Ohio, where the cost of living index is lower at 0.901.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Educational Services (23.3%), Health Care & Social Assistance (16.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.3%). This distribution suggests a strong alignment with sectors that prioritize communication and support services. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 10.8 years, indicating that while the initial investment in education may take time to recoup, the long-term return on investment appears favorable, particularly in growing fields related to health and education.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Communication Disorders Sciences and Services degree at Bowling Green 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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