10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$151,346at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, KS · 30 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 26 · Federal debt reported for 23
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$151,346 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
26.5 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−62%Estimated return after 10 years
$54,179Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $10,980 housing and food allowance plus $5,506 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$88,210
$8,000Annual price−$120,210
$16,000Current college-wide context−$152,210
$24,000Annual price−$184,210
$32,000Annual price−$216,210
$40,000Annual price−$248,210
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Town
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
322 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Kansas run 10% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$15,784Average net price / year
$22,099Cost of attendance
$18,969Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$201/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$54,179Median earnings · year 5 after completion
56.6%Completion rate
89.4%Admission rate
1,050Average SAT score
21ACT midpoint
4,210Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Pittsburg State University
What does Pittsburg State University cost?
Pittsburg State University reports an average annual net price of $15,784 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Pittsburg State University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $54,179 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Pittsburg State University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $18,969. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Pittsburg State University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 30 field-and-degree records for Pittsburg State University; 26 report year-4 earnings and 23 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
6,813Students enrolled at any point
4,991Undergraduate students
1,822Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
51% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
379 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
56% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$44,319Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$50,798Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$56,699Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income48%
Middle income63%
Higher income75%
Undergraduate student composition
White78%
Black3%
Hispanic8%
Asian1%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$45,942Year 1
$57,275Year 4
$54,179Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other · Bachelor's Degree$111,9202Construction Management · Bachelor's Degree$90,3213Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's Degree$81,5624Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$76,8195Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree$76,0336Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's Degree$74,8787Computer Systems Analysis · Bachelor's Degree$71,1998Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$70,657Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, OtherBachelor's Degree · $111,920 reported+37%vs same-degree national median$21,235federal debt2Social WorkBachelor's Degree · $53,878 reported+4%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt3Psychology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $51,640 reported+2%vs same-degree national median$22,951federal debt4English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $49,023 reported+1%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · $81,562 reported+1%vs same-degree national median$22,250federal debt6Biology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $56,733 reported-1%vs same-degree national median$19,550federal debt
Comparable colleges in KS
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Topeka, KS
Washburn University
- Annual net price
- $15,280
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,209
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -66%
Wichita State University
- Annual net price
- $13,194
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $54,872
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -58%
Fort Hays State University
- Annual net price
- $12,569
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,065
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -65%
Emporia State University
- Annual net price
- $16,261
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,287
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -78%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 30 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $111,920 | $21,235 | Not reported |
| Construction Management | Bachelor's Degree | $90,321 | $23,461 | Not reported |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $81,562 | $22,250 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $76,819 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $76,033 | $21,875 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $74,878 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Computer Systems Analysis | Bachelor's Degree | $71,199 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $70,657 | $22,791 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $67,052 | Not available | 40 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $66,851 | $22,250 | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's Degree | $64,565 | $23,015 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $60,219 | $23,994 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Master's Degree | $57,192 | Not available | 0 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $56,733 | $19,550 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $56,317 | Not available | 0 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $56,313 | Not available | 0 |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $53,878 | $27,000 | 0 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $52,964 | Not available | 1 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $51,640 | $22,951 | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $49,023 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $48,757 | $24,125 | 3 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $46,931 | $23,500 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $45,940 | $23,250 | 2 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $43,465 | $22,727 | 0 |
| Graphic Communications | Bachelor's Degree | $39,946 | $25,500 | Not reported |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $34,318 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | Not available | $12,000 | Not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $19,661 | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $24,900 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $24,843 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.