ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at Concordia College - Moorhead

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from Concordia College - Moorhead earn a median salary of $81,403 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $86,507. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.8 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

$68,098

Typical Career

$81,403

Top Performers

$96,999

Estimated break-even: 4.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$543

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,784. Most students can comfortably afford about a $543 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x 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 23.8%
Educational Services 22.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.8%

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

$86,507

Nominal: $81,403 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).

4.8 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 $47,833 $61,085 $69,363
5 Years After Graduation $68,098 $81,403 $96,999
10 Years After Graduation $83,557 $108,086 $138,999

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 $81,403 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)
= $81,403 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $86,507 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Accounting and Related Services from Concordia College - Moorhead shows a promising increase over time. One year post-graduation, median earnings stand at $61,085, which rises to $81,403 after five years and reaches $108,086 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $86,506.91, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to their peers across the country.

Graduates from this program predominantly enter sectors such as Health Care & Social Assistance (23.8%), Educational Services (22.0%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.8%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path is around 4.8 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for students. Overall, the data indicates that pursuing a degree in Accounting and Related Services can lead to significant long-term financial benefits and opportunities in diverse industries.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Accounting and Related Services degree at Concordia College - Moorhead 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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