ROI Major

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management at Midwestern State University

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 31.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management degree from Midwestern State University earn a median salary of $51,789 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $56,231. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.2 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

$37,689

Typical Career

$51,789

Top Performers

$65,554

Estimated break-even: 11.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$345

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,316. Most students can comfortably afford about a $345 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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

$56,231

Nominal: $51,789 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).

11.2 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 $24,637 $33,372 $45,075
5 Years After Graduation $37,689 $51,789 $65,554
10 Years After Graduation $47,119 $65,240 $77,430

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 $51,789 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)
= $51,789 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $56,231 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management from Midwestern State University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,372, which increases to $51,789 five years post-graduation, and reaches $65,240 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $56,231.27, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite regional cost-of-living differences.

The primary industries employing these graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (32.3%), Educational Services (21.7%), and Public Administration (6.7%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high school-only path is approximately 11.2 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for students pursuing this degree. Overall, the career prospects and earnings potential in this field appear favorable, providing a solid foundation for graduates entering the workforce.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management 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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