ROI Major

Agriculture, General at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 01.00

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Agriculture, General degree from University of Louisiana at Lafayette earn a median salary of $50,985 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,238. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.1 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

$40,578

Typical Career

$50,985

Top Performers

$68,098

Estimated break-even: 12.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$340

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,249. Most students can comfortably afford about a $340 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 22.9%
Educational Services 17.7%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.3%

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

$55,238

Nominal: $50,985 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).

12.1 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 $25,045 $33,548 $50,425
5 Years After Graduation $40,578 $50,985 $68,098
10 Years After Graduation $45,557 $61,036 $79,944

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 $50,985 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)
= $50,985 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $55,238 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Agriculture, General from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette can expect a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,548, which increases to $50,985 after five years and reaches $61,036 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $55,238.35, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for significant growth over time, particularly when considering the cost of living in Louisiana.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (22.9%), Educational Services (17.7%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.3%). This distribution suggests a diverse range of career opportunities, primarily in sectors that are essential and often stable. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 12.1 years compared to a high-school-only path, the overall return on investment for pursuing a degree in Agriculture, General appears favorable, especially for those committed to long-term career development in these fields.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Agriculture, General degree at University of Louisiana at Lafayette 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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