ROI Major

Agricultural Business and Management at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

WI · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 01.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Agricultural Business and Management degree from University of Wisconsin - River Falls earn a median salary of $65,710 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $69,096. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.7 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$50,103

Typical Career

$65,710

Top Performers

$85,832

Estimated break-even: 6.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$438

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,476. Most students can comfortably afford about a $438 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x 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: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 20.0%
Health Care & Social Assistance 13.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.5%

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

$69,096

Nominal: $65,710 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).

6.7 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 $41,462 $52,440 $63,134
5 Years After Graduation $50,103 $65,710 $85,832
10 Years After Graduation $61,756 $80,624 $123,152

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 $65,710 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)
= $65,710 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9510) = $69,096 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Agricultural Business and Management from the University of Wisconsin - River Falls experience a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $52,440, increasing to $65,710 after five years and reaching $80,624 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $69,095.69, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in earnings relative to national trends despite the cost of living index in Wisconsin being slightly lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (20.0%), Health Care & Social Assistance (13.0%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.5%). This diverse range of sectors suggests that graduates have multiple pathways for employment, enhancing their career prospects. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 6.7 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears favorable, making it a viable option for students considering their future career trajectories.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Agricultural Business and Management degree at University of Wisconsin - River Falls 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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