ROI Major

Business Administration and Management at Providence College

RI · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from Providence College earn a median salary of $87,603 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in RI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $77,869. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.7 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

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

$67,507

Typical Career

$87,603

Top Performers

$114,860

Estimated break-even: 4.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$584

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,300. Most students can comfortably afford about a $584 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Rhode Island buys what costs $1.13 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services, Finance & Insurance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 20.4%
Educational Services 16.2%
Finance & Insurance 15.0%

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

$77,869

Nominal: $87,603 in Rhode Island (COL 112.5% of national avg) · 11.1% lower 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).

4.7 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 $43,441 $57,957 $72,681
5 Years After Graduation $67,507 $87,603 $114,860
10 Years After Graduation $87,244 $123,459 $184,338

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 $87,603 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in RI, which has a cost-of-living index of 112.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $87,603 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1250) = $77,869 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 Providence College experience a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $57,957, which increases to $87,603 five years post-graduation and reaches $123,459 after ten years. When considering the cost of living in Rhode Island, the purchasing-power-adjusted salary five years after graduation is approximately $77,869.33, indicating that while initial earnings may be lower than the national average, the long-term financial outlook remains strong.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (20.4%), Educational Services (16.2%), and Finance & Insurance (15.0%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 4.7 years, suggesting that the investment in a degree yields a favorable return on investment over time. Overall, pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management at Providence College appears to provide a solid foundation for career advancement and financial stability.

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 Providence College 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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