ROI Major

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at University of Texas at San Antonio

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 05.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies degree from University of Texas at San Antonio earn a median salary of $55,464 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $60,222. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.4 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

$43,993

Typical Career

$55,464

Top Performers

$67,483

Estimated break-even: 11.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$370

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,622. Most students can comfortably afford about a $370 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 Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 24.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.0%
Health Care & Social Assistance 11.5%

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

$60,222

Nominal: $55,464 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

11.4 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 $25,070 $35,233 $46,891
5 Years After Graduation $43,993 $55,464 $67,483
10 Years After Graduation $47,224 $59,253 $74,872

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 $55,464 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $55,464 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $60,222 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 Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $35,233, rising to $55,464 after five years and reaching $59,253 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $60,221.5, indicating that graduates can expect a stable income that aligns with national trends, albeit slightly lower due to Texas's cost of living index of 0.921 compared to the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (24.0%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.0%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (11.5%). This diversity in career paths suggests a broad applicability of the degree, particularly in sectors that prioritize cultural competence and social awareness. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 11.4 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree can be considered reasonable, particularly for those passionate about social issues and community engagement.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies degree at University of Texas at San Antonio 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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