ROI Major

Data Processing at Louisiana State University at Eunice

LA · Associate's Degree · CIP 11.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Data Processing degree from Louisiana State University at Eunice earn a median salary of $39,310 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $42,589. The degree typically pays for itself in 18.8 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$29,428

Typical Career

$39,310

Top Performers

$49,109

Estimated break-even: 18.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$262

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,276. Most students can comfortably afford about a $262 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Public Administration.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 48.8%
Educational Services 10.8%
Public Administration 10.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$42,589

Nominal: $39,310 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).

18.8 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 $21,553 $27,851 $39,092
5 Years After Graduation $29,428 $39,310 $49,109
10 Years After Graduation $39,655 $54,051 $89,036

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 $39,310 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)
= $39,310 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $42,589 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Data Processing program at Louisiana State University at Eunice can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $27,851, rising to $39,310 after five years, and reaching $54,051 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $42,589.38, reflecting the cost of living in Louisiana, which has a COL index of 0.923 compared to the national average.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 48.8% of employment, followed by another segment of Health Care & Social Assistance at 27.1%, and Public Administration at 14.5%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 18.8 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree may be considered moderate. Prospective students should weigh these factors against their career goals and financial expectations.

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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.