ROI Major

Business Administration and Management at Lincoln University

MO · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from Lincoln University earn a median salary of $48,913 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $54,835. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.3 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

$37,821

Typical Career

$48,913

Top Performers

$62,308

Estimated break-even: 12.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$326

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,076. Most students can comfortably afford about a $326 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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: Educational Services, Public Administration, Health Care & Social Assistance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 18.0%
Public Administration 17.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 16.4%

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

$54,835

Nominal: $48,913 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).

12.3 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 $27,675 $35,201 $46,005
5 Years After Graduation $37,821 $48,913 $62,308
10 Years After Graduation $44,939 $61,332 $81,072

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 $48,913 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)
= $48,913 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $54,835 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Business Administration and Management from Lincoln University experience a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $35,201, which increases to $48,913 five years post-graduation, and reaches $61,332 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $54,835.2, indicating that graduates can expect their earnings to maintain a competitive edge in the job market, especially considering Missouri's cost of living index of 0.892 compared to the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (18.0%), Public Administration (17.3%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (16.4%), reflecting diverse career opportunities. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 12.3 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the combination of earnings potential and industry diversity supports a favorable outlook for students considering this path at Lincoln University.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Business Administration and Management degree at Lincoln 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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