10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$91,794at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Salem State University
⌖ Salem, MA · 35 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$91,794 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
16.0 yrsModeled economic break-even
−38%Modeled 10-year ROI
$60,219Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Salem State University
What does Salem State University cost?
Salem State University reports an average annual net price of $15,996 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Salem State University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $60,219 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Salem State University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $25,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Salem State University worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 35 field-and-credential outcomes at Salem State University; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
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.
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−$27,810
$8,000Annual price−$59,810
$16,000Current college-wide context−$91,810
$24,000Annual price−$123,810
$32,000Annual price−$155,810
$40,000Annual price−$187,810
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- New England Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$15,996Average net price / year
$28,291Cost of attendance
$25,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$265/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$60,219Median earnings · year 5 after completion
49.8%Completion rate
95.9%Admission rate
4,291Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
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
60% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
552 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
60% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$49,500Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$60,672Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$60,110Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income53%
Middle income60%
Higher income72%
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.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 51
$77,967Year 1
$93,007Year 5
$102,715Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$52,842Year 1
$73,494Year 5
$92,424Year 10
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 26
$45,035Year 1
$72,722Year 5
$87,123Year 10
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 43
$49,256Year 1
$70,155Year 5
$86,267Year 10
Astronomy and Astrophysics.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 40
$40,793Year 1
$55,665Year 5
$84,400Year 10
Communication and Media Studies.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 09
$37,908Year 1
$54,443Year 5
$75,612Year 10
Clinical Psychology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 42
$41,721Year 1
$59,236Year 5
$73,157Year 10
Outdoor Education.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 31
$37,402Year 1
$57,957Year 5
$72,928Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
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 only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$46,092Year 1
$62,605Year 4
$60,219Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$122,0422Criminal Justice and Corrections · Master's Degree$107,3393Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$95,5504Computer and Information Sciences, General · Bachelor's Degree$92,3805Chemistry · Bachelor's Degree$81,2666Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$80,0337Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas · Master's Degree$72,5608Social Work · Master's Degree$69,819Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
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.
1Criminal Justice and CorrectionsMaster's Degree · $107,339 reported+61%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2English Language and Literature, GeneralMaster's Degree · $69,754 reported+26%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3ChemistryBachelor's Degree · $81,266 reported+25%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt4Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's Degree · $50,397 reported+22%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt5Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's Degree · $56,509 reported+19%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Biology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $67,551 reported+18%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt
Comparable colleges in MA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Quincy, MA
Quincy College
- Annual net price
- $17,126
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $60,318
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -38%
Framingham State University
- Annual net price
- $16,114
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $59,034
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -43%
Westfield State University
- Annual net price
- $16,721
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $57,717
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -48%
Bridgewater State University
- Annual net price
- $16,383
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,900
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -52%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $122,042 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Master's Degree | $107,339 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $95,550 | $28,500 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $92,380 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $81,266 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $80,033 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $72,560 | Not available | Not reported |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | $69,819 | Not available | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Master's Degree | $69,754 | Not available | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Master's Degree | $69,564 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's Degree | $69,495 | Not available | 0 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $67,789 | $27,000 | 4 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $67,551 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $63,889 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $62,341 | Not available | 1 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $61,259 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $60,928 | Not available | Not reported |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $60,026 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $59,774 | $26,220 | Not reported |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $59,424 | Not available | Not reported |
| Geography and Cartography | Bachelor's Degree | $58,593 | $27,000 | 0 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $58,499 | Not available | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $57,817 | Not available | 1 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $56,509 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $55,808 | $27,000 | 4 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Bachelor's Degree | $55,323 | $26,500 | 0 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $54,717 | $26,435 | Not reported |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $51,573 | $30,690 | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $51,362 | $27,000 | 0 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $50,397 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $50,260 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $49,572 | $27,000 | 2 |
| Education, General | Bachelor's Degree | $45,568 | $27,000 | 0 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $43,621 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Bachelor's Degree | $32,484 | $27,000 | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
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.