ROI Major

Business, Management, and Marketing, Other at East Central College

MO · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.99

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business, Management, and Marketing, Other degree from East Central College earn a median salary of $41,695 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $46,743. The degree typically pays for itself in 19.8 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$30,143

Typical Career

$41,695

Top Performers

$53,107

Estimated break-even: 19.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$278

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,475. Most students can comfortably afford about a $278 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Missouri buys what costs $0.89 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Manufacturing.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 30.1%
Educational Services 12.4%
Manufacturing 12.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$46,743

Nominal: $41,695 in Missouri (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% 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).

19.8 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 $23,338 $31,905 $44,398
5 Years After Graduation $30,143 $41,695 $53,107
10 Years After Graduation $37,041 $51,223 $79,787

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 $41,695 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MO, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $41,695 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $46,743 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Business, Management, and Marketing, Other from East Central College experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $31,905, which increases to $41,695 five years later and reaches $51,223 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $46,743.27, indicating that graduates can expect their earnings to maintain a competitive edge relative to national averages, despite the cost of living index in Missouri being lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates are Health Care & Social Assistance (30.1%), Manufacturing (20.9%), and another segment of Manufacturing (19.4%). This diverse industry entry suggests a robust demand for skills acquired in this program. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 19.8 years, indicating a long-term return on investment for those pursuing this educational path. Overall, while the initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial benefits and industry opportunities present a compelling case for pursuing a degree in this field.

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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.