ROI Major

Business, Management, and Marketing, Other at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

WI · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.99

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business, Management, and Marketing, Other degree from University of Wisconsin - Whitewater earn a median salary of $70,655 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $74,295. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.9 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

$55,060

Typical Career

$70,655

Top Performers

$89,880

Estimated break-even: 6.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$471

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,888. Most students can comfortably afford about a $471 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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, Manufacturing.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 18.5%
Health Care & Social Assistance 11.5%
Manufacturing 10.9%

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

$74,295

Nominal: $70,655 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).

6.9 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 $32,198 $42,146 $52,322
5 Years After Graduation $55,060 $70,655 $89,880
10 Years After Graduation $67,967 $84,962 $112,340

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 $70,655 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)
= $70,655 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9510) = $74,295 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Business, Management, and Marketing, Other program at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater experience a positive earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $42,146, which increases significantly to $70,655 after five years and reaches $84,962 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $74,295.48, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to their peers across the country.

The program prepares students for diverse career paths, with top industries including Educational Services (18.5%), Health Care & Social Assistance (11.5%), and Manufacturing (10.9%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 6.9 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for pursuing a degree. Overall, the data indicates that graduates can expect solid career prospects and a reasonable financial payoff from their education.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Business, Management, and Marketing, Other degree at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater 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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