ROI Major

Business Administration and Management at Radford University

VA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from Radford University earn a median salary of $64,059 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $62,497. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.5 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

$47,629

Typical Career

$64,059

Top Performers

$86,334

Estimated break-even: 7.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$427

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,338. Most students can comfortably afford about a $427 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 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 20.0%
Health Care & Social Assistance 17.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.7%

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

$62,497

Nominal: $64,059 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% 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).

7.5 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 $32,430 $44,409 $56,676
5 Years After Graduation $47,629 $64,059 $86,334
10 Years After Graduation $57,827 $82,076 $116,721

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 $64,059 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $64,059 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $62,497 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 Radford University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $44,409, which increases to $64,059 after five years and reaches $82,076 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $62,496.59, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite the cost of living index in Virginia being slightly higher than the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (20.0%), Health Care & Social Assistance (17.6%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.7%). This diverse range of sectors suggests that graduates have multiple pathways for employment. The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 7.5 years, indicating a reasonable return on investment for those who complete their degree. Overall, the data suggests that a degree in Business Administration and Management from Radford University can provide a solid financial foundation and diverse career opportunities.

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 Radford 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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