ROI Major

Social Sciences, Other at Indiana University - Kokomo

IN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 45.99

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Social Sciences, Other degree from Indiana University - Kokomo earn a median salary of $46,435 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $51,366. The degree typically pays for itself in 17.2 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

$34,351

Typical Career

$46,435

Top Performers

$63,214

Estimated break-even: 17.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$310

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,870. Most students can comfortably afford about a $310 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 Indiana buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 41.5%
Educational Services 13.9%
Manufacturing 8.7%

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

$51,366

Nominal: $46,435 in Indiana (COL 90.4% of national avg) · 10.6% 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).

17.2 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 $23,578 $31,905 $43,948
5 Years After Graduation $34,351 $46,435 $63,214
10 Years After Graduation $41,115 $52,354 $90,301

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 $46,435 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IN, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.4% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $46,435 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9040) = $51,366 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Social Sciences, Other program at Indiana University - Kokomo experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $31,905, increasing to $46,435 after five years, and reaching $52,354 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $51,366.15 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to their peers across the country, despite the cost of living adjustments in Indiana.

The primary industries employing these graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (41.5%), Educational Services (13.9%), and Manufacturing (8.7%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 17.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears reasonable. Graduates can expect to find opportunities in sectors that are essential to community well-being, suggesting a stable job market for those entering the workforce.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Social Sciences, Other degree at Indiana University - Kokomo 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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