# Michigan State University: Accounting (bachelor's)

East Lansing, MI. IPEDS 171100, CIP 52.03. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/michigan-state-university/majors/accounting

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $65,965
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $96,093 (U.S. median for this major: $74,373 across 741 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $23,250 (U.S. median $24,903)
- Rank in MI: 1 of 28 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the MI median for this major (28 colleges, $73,056): +$23,037
- Versus the U.S. median: +$21,720

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.24 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $96,093 minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $7,068 | $29,968 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $10,830 | $45,919 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $16,521 | $70,049 | 1.1 years |
| 75-110k | $22,703 | $96,261 | 1.5 years |
| 110k+ | $28,546 | $121,035 | 1.9 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Accounting at MI colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University | $96,093 | $23,250 | $19,680 | 81% |
| Hope College | $86,253 | $27,000 | $27,182 | 80% |
| Oakland University | $82,699 | $23,500 | $9,120 | 58% |
| Central Michigan University | $80,551 | $29,000 | $17,597 | 59% |
| Grand Valley State University | $80,153 | $23,750 | $16,317 | 67% |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn | $78,969 | $24,850 | $9,492 | 58% |
| Walsh College | $78,902 | $21,587 | not reported | not reported |
| Albion College | $78,221 | $27,000 | $14,301 | 62% |
| Adrian College | $77,588 | not reported | $25,368 | 48% |
| Alma College | $77,001 | not reported | $20,694 | 63% |
| Aquinas College | $76,274 | not reported | $16,626 | 65% |
| Calvin University | $75,085 | $23,250 | $22,992 | 74% |
| Michigan Technological University | $74,373 | not reported | $14,182 | 68% |
| Wayne State University | $73,940 | $21,504 | $12,766 | 58% |
| Saginaw Valley State University | $72,171 | $25,243 | $10,775 | 48% |
| Concordia University Ann Arbor | $71,591 | $27,000 | $32,811 | 48% |
| Eastern Michigan University | $70,471 | $24,771 | $15,407 | 46% |
| Davenport University | $68,792 | $27,000 | $17,707 | 57% |
| Western Michigan University | $66,666 | $27,000 | $15,273 | 58% |
| Spring Arbor University | $66,338 | $27,000 | $19,353 | 64% |
| Northwood University | $64,405 | $23,850 | $27,232 | 63% |
| Cleary University | $63,508 | $24,039 | $22,143 | 42% |
| University of Michigan-Flint | $63,442 | $30,899 | $7,007 | 40% |
| Baker College | $63,286 | $42,556 | $13,157 | 36% |
| Northern Michigan University | $62,901 | $24,651 | $14,085 | 52% |
| Lake Superior State University | $60,167 | $24,301 | $12,822 | 51% |
| Siena Heights University | $59,960 | $21,493 | $17,124 | 39% |
| Ferris State University | $53,742 | $25,838 | $8,624 | 47% |

## Careers
- Accountant / auditor (SOC 13-2010): median wage $79,210 Lansing-East Lansing, MI, $78,820 MI, $83,680 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5% by 2035
- Financial Managers (SOC 11-3031): median wage $132,590 Lansing-East Lansing, MI, $139,370 MI, $166,570 U.S.; U.S. jobs 9.7% by 2035
- Financial and Investment Analysts (SOC 13-2051): median wage $83,420 Lansing-East Lansing, MI, $95,420 MI, $102,740 U.S.; U.S. jobs 7.2% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).