ROI Major

International Business at University of North Carolina -Greensboro

NC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.11

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a International Business degree from University of North Carolina -Greensboro earn a median salary of $62,287 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $63,688. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.9 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

$45,238

Typical Career

$62,287

Top Performers

$85,927

Estimated break-even: 7.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$415

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,191. Most students can comfortably afford about a $415 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 North Carolina buys what costs $0.98 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 21.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 20.3%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.8%

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

$63,688

Nominal: $62,287 in North Carolina (COL 97.8% of national avg) · 2.2% 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).

7.9 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 $28,856 $39,622 $53,991
5 Years After Graduation $45,238 $62,287 $85,927
10 Years After Graduation $58,920 $84,400 $131,063

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 $62,287 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NC, which has a cost-of-living index of 97.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $62,287 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9780) = $63,688 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in International Business from the University of North Carolina - Greensboro demonstrate a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $39,622, which increases to $62,287 after five years and reaches $84,400 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $63,688.14, indicating that graduates can expect competitive earnings relative to their peers across the country, despite North Carolina's slightly lower cost of living index.

The top industries for graduates reveal a diverse range of opportunities, with Educational Services (21.3%) and Health Care & Social Assistance (20.3%) being the most prominent sectors. Professional, Scientific & Technical Services also offers significant employment at 8.8%. The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high school diploma is approximately 7.9 years, suggesting that the investment in higher education can yield substantial returns over time, particularly in these growing fields.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the International Business degree at University of North Carolina -Greensboro 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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