ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at University of Southern Indiana

IN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from University of Southern Indiana earn a median salary of $65,550 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $72,511. The degree typically pays for itself in 7 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

$50,866

Typical Career

$65,550

Top Performers

$81,133

Estimated break-even: 7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$437

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,463. Most students can comfortably afford about a $437 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Indiana buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 31.3%
Educational Services 15.8%
Manufacturing 8.9%

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

$72,511

Nominal: $65,550 in Indiana (COL 90.4% of national avg) · 10.6% 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 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 $37,412 $49,451 $59,909
5 Years After Graduation $50,866 $65,550 $81,133
10 Years After Graduation $58,474 $80,258 $107,801

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 $65,550 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IN, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.4% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $65,550 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9040) = $72,511 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Accounting and Related Services program at the University of Southern Indiana can expect a solid earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $49,451, increasing to $65,550 after five years and reaching $80,258 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation translate to approximately $72,511.06 on a national scale, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earning potential relative to their peers across the country.

The top industries for graduates reveal a diverse range of opportunities, with 31.3% entering Health Care & Social Assistance, 15.8% in Educational Services, and 8.9% in Manufacturing. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately seven years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the data indicates that a degree in Accounting and Related Services offers a promising career path with substantial long-term financial benefits.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Accounting and Related Services degree at University of Southern Indiana 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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