ROI Major

Community Organization and Advocacy at Middle Georgia State University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 44.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Community Organization and Advocacy degree from Middle Georgia State University earn a median salary of $42,805 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $47,298. The degree typically pays for itself in 17.7 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

$32,293

Typical Career

$42,805

Top Performers

$54,429

Estimated break-even: 17.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$285

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,567. Most students can comfortably afford about a $285 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 23.6%
Educational Services 20.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.5%

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

$47,298

Nominal: $42,805 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).

17.7 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 $27,327 $34,603 $43,615
5 Years After Graduation $32,293 $42,805 $54,429
10 Years After Graduation $38,443 $52,584 $67,997

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 $42,805 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)
= $42,805 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $47,298 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Community Organization and Advocacy from Middle Georgia State University can expect a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $34,603, which increases to $42,805 after five years and reaches $52,584 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $47,298.34, indicating that graduates may experience a competitive salary relative to their peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living index in Georgia.

The top industries for graduates reflect a strong alignment with sectors that prioritize community impact, with 23.6% entering Health Care & Social Assistance, 20.5% in Educational Services, and 8.5% in Professional, Scientific & Technical Services. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 17.7 years, suggesting a long-term return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, while the initial earnings may not be high, the potential for growth and the meaningful career paths available present a favorable outlook for graduates in this field.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Community Organization and Advocacy degree at Middle Georgia 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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