ROI Major

Agricultural Business and Management at Missouri State University

MO · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 01.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Agricultural Business and Management degree from Missouri State University earn a median salary of $51,675 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,932. 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

$41,769

Typical Career

$51,675

Top Performers

$66,976

Estimated break-even: 11.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$345

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,306. 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 Missouri buys what costs $0.89 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 19.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 16.1%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.3%

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

$57,932

Nominal: $51,675 in Missouri (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% 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 $30,926 $40,093 $49,457
5 Years After Graduation $41,769 $51,675 $66,976
10 Years After Graduation $49,513 $61,085 $79,314

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 $51,675 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MO, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $51,675 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $57,932 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Agricultural Business and Management from Missouri State University experience a positive earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $40,093 one year after graduation, increasing to $61,085 by the ten-year mark. The purchasing-power-adjusted salary five years post-graduation is approximately $57,931.61, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite inflation and cost-of-living variations. The cost of living index in Missouri (0.892) suggests that graduates may enjoy a relatively lower cost of living compared to the national average, enhancing their financial outlook.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (19.9%), Health Care & Social Assistance (16.1%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.3%). This diverse range of sectors indicates a broad applicability of skills acquired in the program. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 11.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Agricultural Business and Management appears favorable, suggesting that graduates can expect to recoup their educational expenses within a reasonable timeframe while entering stable and growing industries.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Agricultural Business and Management degree at Missouri 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.

Explore More