ROI Major

Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services at Brigham Young University - Idaho

ID · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 01.06

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services degree from Brigham Young University - Idaho earn a median salary of $47,835 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in ID, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $47,315. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.6 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

$35,591

Typical Career

$47,835

Top Performers

$67,426

Estimated break-even: 12.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$319

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,986. Most students can comfortably afford about a $319 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 Idaho buys what costs $1.01 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 18.8%
Educational Services 17.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 14.8%

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

$47,315

Nominal: $47,835 in Idaho (COL 101.1% of national avg) · 1.1% lower 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).

12.6 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 $23,505 $34,031 $47,574
5 Years After Graduation $35,591 $47,835 $67,426
10 Years After Graduation $38,279 $61,545 $109,303

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 $47,835 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in ID, which has a cost-of-living index of 101.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $47,835 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0110) = $47,315 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services from Brigham Young University - Idaho experience a steady earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $34,031 one year after graduation, increasing to $47,835 after five years, and reaching $61,545 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $47,314.54, indicating that while the cost of living in Idaho is slightly higher than the national average, graduates can expect a reasonable return on their investment over time.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (18.8%), Educational Services (17.5%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (14.8%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 12.6 years compared to a high school-only path, the overall return on investment appears favorable for those entering this field. Graduates can anticipate not only a solid career trajectory but also opportunities in diverse sectors that leverage their horticultural expertise.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services degree at Brigham Young University - Idaho 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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