ROI Major

International Business at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.11

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a International Business degree from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota earn a median salary of $73,565 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $78,177. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.1 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

$55,287

Typical Career

$73,565

Top Performers

$95,590

Estimated break-even: 6.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$490

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,130. Most students can comfortably afford about a $490 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 21.0%
Educational Services 11.5%
Public Administration 9.8%

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

$78,177

Nominal: $73,565 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% 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).

6.1 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 $35,940 $50,227 $59,517
5 Years After Graduation $55,287 $73,565 $95,590
10 Years After Graduation $65,081 $79,787 $107,201

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 $73,565 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $73,565 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $78,177 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the International Business program at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota experience a favorable earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, median earnings stand at $50,227, which increases to $73,565 after five years and reaches $79,787 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $78,177.47, reflecting a competitive position relative to national averages, especially considering Minnesota's cost of living index of 0.941.

The top industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance (21.0%), Educational Services (11.5%), and Public Administration (9.8%), indicating a diverse range of career opportunities. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 6.1 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, the data supports the notion that a degree in International Business from Saint Mary's University can lead to stable career prospects and solid financial outcomes.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the International Business degree at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 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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