ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at University of West Georgia

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from University of West Georgia earn a median salary of $67,104 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $74,148. 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$53,353

Typical Career

$67,104

Top Performers

$85,408

Estimated break-even: 7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$447

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,592. Most students can comfortably afford about a $447 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 Georgia buys what costs $0.91 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 26.4%
Health Care & Social Assistance 19.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.5%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$74,148

Nominal: $67,104 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% 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 $33,910 $46,742 $59,244
5 Years After Graduation $53,353 $67,104 $85,408
10 Years After Graduation $60,153 $82,210 $112,580

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 $67,104 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $67,104 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $74,148 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Accounting and Related Services from the University of West Georgia can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $46,742, which increases to $67,104 five years post-graduation and reaches $82,210 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $74,148.07, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market despite regional cost-of-living differences.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (26.4%), Health Care & Social Assistance (19.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (7.5%). This diverse entry into various sectors suggests a solid return on investment (ROI) for students, with an estimated break-even point of approximately seven years compared to a high-school-only path. Overall, pursuing a degree in Accounting and Related Services appears to offer a favorable financial outlook and career stability in the long term.

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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.