ROI Major

Marketing at Kennesaw State University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.14

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Marketing degree from Kennesaw State University earn a median salary of $64,941 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $71,758. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.4 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

$48,420

Typical Career

$64,941

Top Performers

$86,329

Estimated break-even: 7.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$433

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,412. Most students can comfortably afford about a $433 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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: Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Health Care & Social Assistance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 16.7%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 15.5%
Health Care & Social Assistance 12.5%

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

$71,758

Nominal: $64,941 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).

7.4 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 $32,074 $44,150 $56,567
5 Years After Graduation $48,420 $64,941 $86,329
10 Years After Graduation $60,140 $81,348 $120,282

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 $64,941 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)
= $64,941 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $71,758 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Kennesaw State University who pursue a degree in Marketing can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $44,150, which increases to $64,941 five years later and reaches $81,348 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation equate to $71,758.01 on a national scale, reflecting the competitive earning potential of graduates in the marketing field, especially when considering Georgia's cost of living index of 0.905.

The top industries for Kennesaw State Marketing graduates include Educational Services (16.7%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (15.5%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (12.5%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 7.4 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for a Marketing degree appears favorable. This suggests that pursuing a degree in Marketing at Kennesaw State University can lead to substantial career opportunities and financial benefits over time.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Marketing degree at Kennesaw State 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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