ROI Major

Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions at North Central State College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.15

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions degree from North Central State College earn a median salary of $34,840 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $38,668. The degree typically pays for itself in 91.2 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$26,082

Typical Career

$34,840

Top Performers

$42,746

Estimated break-even: 91.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$232

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,903. Most students can comfortably afford about a $232 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Public Administration.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 42.2%
Manufacturing 14.4%
Public Administration 7.4%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$38,668

Nominal: $34,840 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

91.2 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 $23,078 $29,764 $37,779
5 Years After Graduation $26,082 $34,840 $42,746
10 Years After Graduation $31,758 $41,115 $51,929

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 $34,840 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $34,840 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $38,668 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions program at North Central State College experience a varied earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $38,861, which increases to $44,669 after five years. However, by the ten-year mark, median earnings decline to $39,425. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary reflects a national equivalent of $49,577.14, indicating that while initial earnings may be promising, long-term financial growth appears inconsistent.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 73.5% of them employed in this industry. The high concentration in this field suggests strong demand for professionals in mental and social health services. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 210.1 years, indicating a lengthy return on investment. This extended timeframe may raise concerns for prospective students regarding the overall financial viability of pursuing this career path.

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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.