ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at Louisiana State University & Agricultural & Mechanical College

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from Louisiana State University & Agricultural & Mechanical College earn a median salary of $82,892 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $89,807. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.5 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

$65,782

Typical Career

$82,892

Top Performers

$101,182

Estimated break-even: 5.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$553

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,908. Most students can comfortably afford about a $553 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Louisiana buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 19.3%
Educational Services 15.1%
Health Care & Social Assistance 13.4%

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

$89,807

Nominal: $82,892 in Louisiana (COL 92.3% of national avg) · 8.3% 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).

5.5 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 $32,140 $46,558 $62,862
5 Years After Graduation $65,782 $82,892 $101,182
10 Years After Graduation $79,709 $108,932 $146,674

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 $82,892 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in LA, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $82,892 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $89,807 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Accounting and Related Services program at Louisiana State University experience a significant earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, median earnings stand at $46,558, which increases to $82,892 after five years and reaches $108,932 after a decade. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $89,807.15, indicating that while initial earnings may be lower than the national average, the long-term financial outlook remains strong.

The program's graduates predominantly enter sectors such as Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (19.3%), Educational Services (15.1%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (13.4%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 5.5 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for this degree appears favorable. The combination of solid earnings growth and diverse employment opportunities suggests that pursuing a degree in Accounting and Related Services can be a sound financial decision for students.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Accounting and Related Services degree at Louisiana State University & Agricultural & Mechanical College 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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