ROI Major

Behavioral Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

WI · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 30.17

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Behavioral Sciences degree from University of Wisconsin - Green Bay earn a median salary of $44,035 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $46,304. The degree typically pays for itself in 17.8 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

$34,002

Typical Career

$44,035

Top Performers

$54,665

Estimated break-even: 17.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$294

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,670. Most students can comfortably afford about a $294 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Wisconsin buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 22.2%
Educational Services 14.9%
Finance & Insurance 10.0%

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

$46,304

Nominal: $44,035 in Wisconsin (COL 95.1% of national avg) · 5.2% 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).

17.8 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 $24,168 $31,418 $39,804
5 Years After Graduation $34,002 $44,035 $54,665
10 Years After Graduation $41,189 $52,706 $68,424

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 $44,035 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WI, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $44,035 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9510) = $46,304 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 Behavioral Sciences from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay can expect a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $31,418, which increases to $44,035 five years post-graduation and reaches $52,706 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $46,303.89, indicating that graduates may experience a favorable financial outlook relative to the cost of living in Wisconsin.

The top industries for Behavioral Sciences graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (22.2%), Educational Services (14.9%), and Finance & Insurance (10.0%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 17.8 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree is moderate. While the earnings potential is promising, students should consider the time required to recoup their educational expenses against their career aspirations in these sectors.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Behavioral Sciences degree at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay 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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