ROI Major

Family and Consumer Sciences, General at Northeastern State University

OK · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 19.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Family and Consumer Sciences, General degree from Northeastern State University earn a median salary of $43,848 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OK, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $50,868. The degree typically pays for itself in 21.5 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

$36,246

Typical Career

$43,848

Top Performers

$51,062

Estimated break-even: 21.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$292

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,654. Most students can comfortably afford about a $292 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Oklahoma buys what costs $0.86 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 25.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance 19.8%
Public Administration 12.8%

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

$50,868

Nominal: $43,848 in Oklahoma (COL 86.2% of national avg) · 16% 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).

21.5 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 $27,308 $33,955 $40,318
5 Years After Graduation $36,246 $43,848 $51,062
10 Years After Graduation $39,425 $48,736 $62,818

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 $43,848 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OK, which has a cost-of-living index of 86.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $43,848 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8620) = $50,868 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 Family and Consumer Sciences from Northeastern State University can expect a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,955, which increases to $43,848 five years post-graduation and reaches $48,736 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $50,867.75, indicating a competitive position in the job market relative to national standards, especially considering the cost of living index in Oklahoma is lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (25.7%), Health Care & Social Assistance (19.8%), and Public Administration (12.8%). This diverse range of sectors suggests that graduates have multiple pathways to employment. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 21.5 years, indicating a long-term return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, while the earnings potential is promising, students should consider the extended time frame to recoup educational costs relative to immediate employment opportunities.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Family and Consumer Sciences, General degree at Northeastern 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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