ROI Major

Marketing at University of Utah

UT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.14

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Marketing degree from University of Utah earn a median salary of $83,557 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in UT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $80,731. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.3 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

$59,848

Typical Career

$83,557

Top Performers

$110,538

Estimated break-even: 5.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$557

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,963. Most students can comfortably afford about a $557 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Utah buys what costs $1.04 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 17.2%
Health Care & Social Assistance 16.9%
Educational Services 14.4%

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

$80,731

Nominal: $83,557 in Utah (COL 103.5% of national avg) · 3.4% lower 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).

5.3 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 $37,921 $50,742 $64,402
5 Years After Graduation $59,848 $83,557 $110,538
10 Years After Graduation $83,557 $112,807 $155,958

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 $83,557 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in UT, which has a cost-of-living index of 103.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $83,557 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0350) = $80,731 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the University of Utah's Marketing program can expect a positive earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $50,742 one year after graduation, increasing to $83,557 after five years, and reaching $112,807 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $80,731.4, indicating that while the cost of living in Utah is slightly higher than the national average (COL index of 1.035), graduates still achieve competitive earnings relative to their peers across the country.

The top industries for Marketing graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (17.2%), Health Care & Social Assistance (16.9%), and Educational Services (14.4%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 5.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the overall return on investment for pursuing a degree in Marketing at the University of Utah appears favorable. This suggests that graduates can expect to recoup their educational costs relatively quickly while entering diverse and growing sectors.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Marketing degree at University of Utah 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.

Explore More