ROI Major

Business Administration and Management at Missouri State University

MO · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from Missouri State University earn a median salary of $60,817 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $68,180. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.2 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

$45,885

Typical Career

$60,817

Top Performers

$79,330

Estimated break-even: 8.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$405

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,068. Most students can comfortably afford about a $405 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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

$68,180

Nominal: $60,817 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).

8.2 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 $30,143 $40,580 $52,561
5 Years After Graduation $45,885 $60,817 $79,330
10 Years After Graduation $55,794 $78,636 $108,603

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 $60,817 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)
= $60,817 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $68,180 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Business Administration and Management from Missouri State University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $40,580, which increases to $60,817 after five years and reaches $78,636 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $68,180.49, indicating that graduates are well-positioned in terms of financial stability relative to the cost of living in Missouri.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (19.9%), Health Care & Social Assistance (16.1%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.3%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 8.2 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. Graduates can anticipate entering diverse fields with solid earning potential, reinforcing the value of a Business Administration and Management degree from Missouri State University.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Business Administration 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