ROI Major

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services at Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical Colg at Baton Rouge

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Communication Disorders Sciences and Services degree from Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical Colg at Baton Rouge earn a median salary of $48,349 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,382. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.5 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

$37,056

Typical Career

$48,349

Top Performers

$60,590

Estimated break-even: 13.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$322

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,029. Most students can comfortably afford about a $322 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Louisiana buys what costs $0.92 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 24.3%
Educational Services 21.7%
Public Administration 12.7%

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

$52,382

Nominal: $48,349 in Louisiana (COL 92.3% of national avg) · 8.3% 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).

13.5 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 $22,739 $29,985 $43,639
5 Years After Graduation $37,056 $48,349 $60,590
10 Years After Graduation $42,295 $59,307 $80,511

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 $48,349 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in LA, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $48,349 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $52,382 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Communication Disorders Sciences and Services program at Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $29,985, which increases to $48,349 after five years and reaches $59,307 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns more closely with the national equivalent at $52,382.45, reflecting the local cost of living in Louisiana, which has a cost of living index of 0.923 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The primary industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (24.3%), Educational Services (21.7%), and Public Administration (12.7%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 13.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. Graduates can anticipate stable career opportunities in sectors that are essential to community well-being, further enhancing the overall value of their educational investment.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Communication Disorders Sciences and Services degree at Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical Colg at Baton Rouge 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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