ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at University of Louisiana at Monroe

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from University of Louisiana at Monroe earn a median salary of $67,438 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $73,064. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.8 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

$53,107

Typical Career

$67,438

Top Performers

$81,803

Estimated break-even: 6.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$450

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,620. Most students can comfortably afford about a $450 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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, Retail Trade.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 31.4%
Educational Services 18.8%
Retail Trade 7.5%

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

$73,064

Nominal: $67,438 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).

6.8 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 $37,941 $49,452 $59,818
5 Years After Graduation $53,107 $67,438 $81,803
10 Years After Graduation $59,572 $80,046 $101,945

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 $67,438 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)
= $67,438 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $73,064 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Accounting and Related Services from the University of Louisiana at Monroe can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $49,452, which increases to $67,438 after five years and reaches $80,046 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $73,063.92, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to national standards, despite the lower cost of living index in Louisiana.

The top industries for graduates reveal a diverse range of opportunities, with 31.4% entering Health Care & Social Assistance, followed by 18.8% in Educational Services, and 7.5% in Retail Trade. The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high school diploma is approximately 6.8 years, suggesting that the investment in education can yield significant returns over time. Overall, the data indicates a favorable return on investment for students considering this career path.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Accounting and Related Services degree at University of Louisiana at Monroe 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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