ROI Major

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Midwestern State University

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.06

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degree from Midwestern State University earn a median salary of $70,211 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $76,233. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.3 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

$55,582

Typical Career

$70,211

Top Performers

$83,452

Estimated break-even: 5.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$468

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,851. Most students can comfortably afford about a $468 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas 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 Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 32.3%
Educational Services 21.7%
Public Administration 6.7%

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

$76,233

Nominal: $70,211 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

5.3 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 $51,546 $65,382 $80,863
5 Years After Graduation $55,582 $70,211 $83,452
10 Years After Graduation $50,463 $65,810 $86,773

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 $70,211 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $70,211 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $76,233 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Dental Support Services and Allied Professions program at Midwestern State University can expect a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $65,382, which increases to $70,211 five years post-graduation. Interestingly, the median earnings ten years after graduation dip slightly to $65,810. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $76,233.44, indicating a strong financial position relative to national standards, especially considering Texas's cost of living index of 0.921.

The program's graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector (32.3%), followed by Educational Services (21.7%) and Public Administration (6.7%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 5.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment appears favorable. This suggests that pursuing a degree in Dental Support Services and Allied Professions not only offers competitive salaries but also positions graduates well within growing industries, enhancing their career prospects and financial stability.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degree at Midwestern 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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