ROI Major

Anthropology at University of Minnesota Morris

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 45.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Anthropology degree from University of Minnesota Morris earn a median salary of $48,066 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $51,080. The degree typically pays for itself in 14.4 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

$37,394

Typical Career

$48,066

Top Performers

$62,520

Estimated break-even: 14.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$320

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,006. Most students can comfortably afford about a $320 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 22.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 17.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.7%

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

$51,080

Nominal: $48,066 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).

14.4 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 $24,885 $33,710 $50,197
5 Years After Graduation $37,394 $48,066 $62,520
10 Years After Graduation $39,655 $55,935 $74,301

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 $48,066 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)
= $48,066 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $51,080 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota Morris can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,710, which rises to $48,066 after five years and reaches $55,935 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $51,079.7, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to peers across the country, despite the lower cost of living index in Minnesota.

The top industries for Anthropology graduates include Educational Services (22.9%), Health Care & Social Assistance (17.0%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (8.7%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 14.4 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree is moderate. Graduates can find meaningful employment in diverse sectors, suggesting that while the financial rewards may take time to fully materialize, the degree offers valuable opportunities in essential fields.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Anthropology degree at University of Minnesota Morris 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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