ROI Major

Business Administration and Management at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

WI · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.02

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from University of Wisconsin - Platteville earn a median salary of $61,592 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $64,766. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.8 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

$48,306

Typical Career

$61,592

Top Performers

$80,222

Estimated break-even: 7.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$411

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,133. Most students can comfortably afford about a $411 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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: Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Manufacturing 21.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.1%
Educational Services 13.0%

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

$64,766

Nominal: $61,592 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).

7.8 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 $35,986 $47,167 $59,585
5 Years After Graduation $48,306 $61,592 $80,222
10 Years After Graduation $55,617 $74,671 $103,074

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 $61,592 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)
= $61,592 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9510) = $64,766 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Business Administration and Management program at the University of Wisconsin - Platteville experience a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $47,167, which increases to $61,592 after five years and reaches $74,671 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to $64,765.51 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to their peers across the country, despite Wisconsin's cost-of-living index being slightly lower than the national average.

The program prepares students for diverse career paths, with significant representation in key industries such as Manufacturing (21.2%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.1%), and Educational Services (13.0%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 7.8 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for graduates. Overall, the combination of strong earnings growth and industry opportunities indicates that pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management at this institution can be a sound financial decision.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Business Administration and Management degree at University of Wisconsin - Platteville 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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