ROI Major

Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

MA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.23

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions degree from University of Massachusetts - Lowell earn a median salary of $76,279 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $51,470. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.9 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

$54,981

Typical Career

$76,279

Top Performers

$88,328

Estimated break-even: 6.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$509

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,357. Most students can comfortably afford about a $509 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Massachusetts buys what costs $1.48 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 19.1%
Health Care & Social Assistance 17.8%
Manufacturing 12.8%

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

$51,470

Nominal: $76,279 in Massachusetts (COL 148.2% of national avg) · 32.5% lower 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).

6.9 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 $23,699 $33,761 $44,102
5 Years After Graduation $54,981 $76,279 $88,328
10 Years After Graduation $53,578 $79,787 $91,787

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 $76,279 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MA, which has a cost-of-living index of 148.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $76,279 × (1.0 ÷ 1.4820) = $51,470 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions program at the University of Massachusetts - Lowell experience a notable earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,761, which increases significantly to $76,279 five years later, and reaches $79,787 after ten years. However, considering the cost of living in Massachusetts, where the cost of living index is 1.482 compared to the national average of 1.0, the purchasing-power-adjusted five-year salary is approximately $51,470.31, indicating that while earnings grow, the purchasing power may be impacted by higher living costs.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (19.1%), Health Care & Social Assistance (17.8%), and Manufacturing (12.8%). This diverse range of sectors suggests a robust job market for graduates. Additionally, the estimated break-even point for this educational path compared to a high-school-only route is approximately 6.9 years, indicating that while the initial investment in education may take time to recoup, the long-term return on investment appears favorable for those entering these fields.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions degree at University of Massachusetts - Lowell 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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