ROI Major

Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 26.09

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Pharmacology and Toxicology degree from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn a median salary of $66,743 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $70,928. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.5 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

$46,912

Typical Career

$66,743

Top Performers

$86,353

Estimated break-even: 7.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$445

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,562. Most students can comfortably afford about a $445 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 Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 18.1%
Health Care & Social Assistance 14.7%
Educational Services 12.9%

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

$70,928

Nominal: $66,743 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).

7.5 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 $24,185 $33,253 $43,517
5 Years After Graduation $46,912 $66,743 $86,353
10 Years After Graduation $68,403 $99,192 $148,039

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 $66,743 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)
= $66,743 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $70,928 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities experience a significant earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,253, which increases to $66,743 five years post-graduation and reaches $99,192 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $70,927.74, indicating a competitive salary relative to the cost of living in Minnesota, which has a cost-of-living index of 0.941 compared to the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (18.1%), Health Care & Social Assistance (14.7%), and Educational Services (12.9%). The estimated break-even point for those pursuing this degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 7.5 years, suggesting that while the initial investment in education may take time to pay off, the long-term return on investment appears favorable. Overall, pursuing a degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology can lead to robust career opportunities and financial growth over time.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Pharmacology and Toxicology degree at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities 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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