ROI Major

Finance and Financial Management Services at Utah Valley University

UT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.08

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Finance and Financial Management Services degree from Utah Valley University earn a median salary of $93,158 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in UT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $90,008. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.5 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

$68,203

Typical Career

$93,158

Top Performers

$125,144

Estimated break-even: 4.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$621

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,763. Most students can comfortably afford about a $621 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Utah buys what costs $1.04 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 15.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 14.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.9%

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

$90,008

Nominal: $93,158 in Utah (COL 103.5% of national avg) · 3.4% lower 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).

4.5 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 $45,570 $57,857 $72,608
5 Years After Graduation $68,203 $93,158 $125,144
10 Years After Graduation $76,015 $116,180 $186,860

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 $93,158 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in UT, which has a cost-of-living index of 103.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $93,158 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0350) = $90,008 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Finance and Financial Management Services program at Utah Valley University experience a substantial increase in median earnings over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $57,857, which rises to $93,158 after five years and reaches $116,180 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $90,007.73, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings despite the cost of living in Utah, which has a cost-of-living index of 1.035 compared to the national average.

The program's graduates predominantly enter sectors such as Educational Services (15.9%), Health Care & Social Assistance (14.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.9%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 4.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Finance and Financial Management Services appears favorable. The combination of strong earnings potential and diverse industry opportunities suggests that this career path can yield significant long-term financial benefits.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Finance and Financial Management Services degree at Utah Valley University 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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