ROI Major

Animal Sciences at University of Minnesota - Crookston

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 01.09

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Animal Sciences degree from University of Minnesota - Crookston earn a median salary of $52,636 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,936. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.1 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

$41,989

Typical Career

$52,636

Top Performers

$68,310

Estimated break-even: 11.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$351

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,386. Most students can comfortably afford about a $351 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 13.4%
Manufacturing 12.3%
Public Administration 11.8%

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

$55,936

Nominal: $52,636 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% 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).

11.1 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 $25,730 $36,215 $45,695
5 Years After Graduation $41,989 $52,636 $68,310
10 Years After Graduation $47,119 $62,818 $81,671

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 $52,636 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $52,636 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $55,936 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Animal Sciences from the University of Minnesota - Crookston experience a positive earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $36,215 one year after graduation, increasing to $62,818 by the tenth year. The purchasing-power-adjusted salary five years post-graduation stands at approximately $55,936.24, indicating that graduates can expect a stable financial outlook relative to the national average, particularly given the cost of living index in Minnesota (0.941 vs. national 1.0).

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (13.4%), Manufacturing (12.3%), and Public Administration (11.8%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 11.1 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Animal Sciences appears favorable. This suggests that while the initial earnings may not be significantly high, the long-term financial benefits and industry opportunities provide a solid rationale for pursuing this degree.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Animal Sciences degree at University of Minnesota - Crookston 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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