ROI Major

Finance and Financial Management Services at University of Louisiana at Monroe

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.08

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Finance and Financial Management Services degree from University of Louisiana at Monroe earn a median salary of $62,653 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $67,880. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.8 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

$49,513

Typical Career

$62,653

Top Performers

$82,116

Estimated break-even: 7.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$418

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,221. Most students can comfortably afford about a $418 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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

$67,880

Nominal: $62,653 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).

7.8 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 $30,332 $39,708 $50,812
5 Years After Graduation $49,513 $62,653 $82,116
10 Years After Graduation $60,144 $88,614 $122,177

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 $62,653 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)
= $62,653 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $67,880 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Finance and Financial Management Services from the University of Louisiana at Monroe experience a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $39,708, which increases to $62,653 five years post-graduation and reaches $88,614 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $67,879.74, indicating that graduates can expect competitive compensation relative to their peers across the country, especially considering Louisiana's lower cost of living index.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (31.4%), Educational Services (18.8%), and Retail Trade (7.5%), suggesting a diverse range of employment opportunities. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 7.8 years, indicating a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the financial outlook for graduates appears favorable, with a solid potential for career advancement and income growth over time.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Finance and Financial Management 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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