ROI Major

International Business at Georgia Southern University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.11

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a International Business degree from Georgia Southern University earn a median salary of $67,570 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $74,663. The degree typically pays for itself in 7 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

$53,696

Typical Career

$67,570

Top Performers

$85,664

Estimated break-even: 7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$450

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,631. Most students can comfortably afford about a $450 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 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 20.4%
Educational Services 20.0%
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

$74,663

Nominal: $67,570 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% 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 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 $32,883 $46,593 $57,957
5 Years After Graduation $53,696 $67,570 $85,664
10 Years After Graduation $62,446 $75,444 $113,650

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 $67,570 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $67,570 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $74,663 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the International Business program at Georgia Southern University can expect a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $46,593, which increases to $67,570 five years post-graduation and reaches $75,444 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $74,662.98 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living in Georgia (COL index of 0.905).

The top industries for graduates highlight a diverse range of opportunities, with 20.4% entering Health Care & Social Assistance and 20.0% in Educational Services, followed by 9.8% in Professional, Scientific & Technical Services. The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately seven years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for students. Overall, the combination of solid earnings potential and varied industry entry points positions the International Business degree as a strategically sound choice for prospective students.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the International Business degree at Georgia Southern 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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