Return on Investment

Earning a degree takes time, money, and commitment. At Colorado State University Global, we believe you should have the information you need to decide whether that investment is right for you.

That’s why we track and share outcomes after students complete their programs, including employment, salary growth, and how closely their careers align with what they studied.

The Value of a CSU Global Degree

When comparing universities, look beyond tuition, programs, and rankings. Consider employment rates, salary growth, and career outcomes to better understand the value of your education. At CSU Global, we track and share these results to help you make a better-informed choice.

Here’s what CSU Global’s alumni surveys tell us about the value of a degree after graduation.

Is a CSU Global degree worth the time and cost?

CSU Global graduates report median annual salary increases of $29,000 (undergraduate) and $30,000 (graduate), with earnings gains that continue to grow several years after completion.

Will it support my career?

89% of undergraduate and 92% of graduate completers are currently employed, with employment remaining strong one to five years after graduation.

Will it move me closer to the work I want to do?

A majority of CSU Global graduates work in their field or a related field, with alignment increasing over time—reaching 71% for undergraduates and 74% for graduates in the three-to-five-year cohort.

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Which CSU Global Degrees Have the Strongest Salary Outcomes?

There's more to choosing a degree than earning potential, but salary matters, especially when you're investing time and money in your education. CSU Global's alumni survey shows substantial increases in median annual income across several degree programs. Here are four examples of salary growth reported three to five years after graduation.

B.S. in Human Resource Management

82%

increase in median annual income

From $45,500 before enrollment to $82,864 three to five years after program completion.

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B.S. in Accounting

77%

Increase in median annual income

From $45,000 before enrollment to $79,560 three to five years after program completion.

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Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)

76%

Increase in median annual income

From $60,000 before enrollment to $105,500 three to five years after program completion.

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M.S. in Human Resource Management

54%

Increase in median annual income

From $62,500 before enrollment to $96,500 three to five years after program completion.

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“CSU Global takes a very intentional approach when considering what programs to offer, how we create our courses, and the support we offer our students. With our focus on career-connected learning, we help students apply what they learn in the classroom into their professional lives.”

— Jerid Counterman, Assistant Vice President of Student Achievement and Services, CSU Global

How We Measure Return on Investment

Each year, CSU Global surveys undergraduate and graduate alumni about employment and salary outcomes after graduation. Those insights help keep our programs aligned with real-world skills, current tools, and employer needs.

More than 1,000 alumni responded to the most recent survey. Programs with 25 or more responses are reported as statistically relevant, and all programs with more than one response are included for transparency.

Taken together, these results show how CSU Global programs translate learning into real-world outcomes—jobs, career alignment, and earnings growth over time.

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Return-On-Investment

Salary growth is one of the clearest indicators of return, and it tends to increase the longer graduates are in the workforce.

*Salary data only includes programs that reached statistical relevance (at least 25 responses).

Undergraduate Median Salary Increase:
- Median annual salary increase of $29,000
  - 50% salary increases seen in the cohorts below:
    - Broken down by cohort:
      - 1-2 Year Post-Program Completion: Median increase of $16,760
      - 3-5 Year Post-Program Completion: Median increase of $31,500
Graduate Median Salary Increase:
- Median annual salary increase of $30,000
  - 40% salary increases seen in the cohorts below:
    - Broken down by cohort:
      - 1-2 Year Post-Program Completion: Median increase of $25,500
      - 3-5 Year Post-Program Completion: Median increase of $39,000

These results suggest that the earnings gains that come with a CSU Global degree continue to build one to five years after finishing a program.

Employment Status

Degrees that go the distance.

CSU Global programs are designed with career alignment in mind, helping graduates stay employed, advance in their fields, and move toward the work they want to do. Looking at outcomes over time shows how careers evolve, not just immediately after graduation.

Employment Status (by degree level)

Undergraduate Program Completers (567 total responses)
- 89% are currently employed
- 67% have been employed in their field or a related field of study
Graduate Program Completers (521 total responses)
- 92% are currently employed
- 71% have been employed in their field or a related field of study

Employment Status (by # of years post-program completion)

1-2 Years Post-Program Completion (445 total responses)

Total: 90% are currently employed
Total: 64% have been employed in their field of program completion or a related field of study
Undergraduate Only:
- 87% are currently employed
- 61% have been employed in their field or a related field of study
Graduate Only:
- 92% are currently employed
- 67% have been employed in their field or a related field of study

3-5 Post-Program Completion (total responses)

90% are currently employed
72% have been employed in their field of program completion or a related field of study
Undergraduate Only:
- 89% are currently employed
- 71% have been employed in their field or a related field of study
Graduate Only:
- 91% are currently employed
- 74% have been employed in their field or a related field of study

Employment Status for Certificate Completers

Certificates often serve a different purpose—helping experienced professionals specialize, upskill, or pivot within their field.

*Employment status includes all responses for certificate programs only.

1-2 Years Post-Certificate Completion

Undergraduate Only:
- 94% are currently employed
- 31% have been employed in their field or a related field of study
Graduate Only:
- 94% are currently employed
- 68% have been employed in their field or a related field of study

3-5 Years Post-Certificate Completion

Undergraduate Only:
- 88% are currently employed
- 65% have been employed in their field or a related field of study
Graduate Only:
- 89% are currently employed
- 73% have been employed in their field or a related field of study

Full ROI Charts

Bachelor’s Degrees

Program	Median Annual Income Prior to Program	Median Annual Current Income (3-5 years post-program completion)	% Increase
B.S. in Accounting	$45,000	$79,560	77%
B.S. in Business Management	$68,801	$101,000	47%
B.S. in Human Resource Management	$45,500	$82,864	82%
B.S. in Information Technology	$62,000	$100,000	61%
B.S. in Organizational Leadership	$63,500	$110,000	73%

Master’s Degrees

Program	Median Annual Income Prior to Program	Median Current Annual Income (3-5 years post-program completion)	% Increase
Master of Healthcare Administration	$60,000	$105,500	76%
M.S. in Human Resource Management	$62,500	$96,500	54%
M.S. in Organizational Leadership	$82,350	$119,000	45%

Appendix

*Salary data for the remaining programs with two or more responses that did not reach statistical relevance.

Undergraduate Certificates

Program	Median Annual Income Prior to Program	Median Current Annual Income (3-5 years post-program completion)	% Increase	Number of Responses Received
Computer Programming	70,000	109,000	56%	3
Cyber Security	124,000	129,000	4%	3
Data Management & Analysis	40,500	101,500	151	3
Project Management	65,000	76,960	18%	5

Undergraduate Degrees

Program	Median Annual Income Prior to Program	Median Current Annual Income (3-5 years post-program completion)	% Increase	Number of Responses Received
Applied Social Sciences	45,500	74,500	64%	5
Communication	45,864	109,000	138%	8
Criminal Justice	55,000	83,700	52%	14
Healthcare Administration & Management	51,000	76,000	49%	19
Human Services	36,000	65,000	81%	12
Interdisciplinary Professional Studies	55,000	79,000	44%	2
Management Information Systems & Business Analytics	70,000	114,700	64%	18
Marketing	44,500	102,000	129%	11
Project Management	71,000	117,500	65%	22

Graduate Certificates

Program	Median Annual Income Prior to Program	Median Annual Current Income (3-5 years post-program completion)	% Increase	Number of Responses Received
Human Resource Management	51,400	95,000	85%	5
Principal Licensure	56,000	101,000	80%	9
Project Management	105,500	117,500	11%	4

Graduate Degrees

Program	Median Annual Income Prior to Program	Median Current Annual Income (3-5 years post-program completion)	% Increase
Master of Healthcare Administration	$60,000	$105,500	76%
M.S. in Human Resource Management	$62,500	$96,500	54%
M.S. in Organizational Leadership	$82,350	$119,000	45%

Let's Get Started Together

You don’t even have to fill out your application alone. Our Enrollment Counselors are standing by to help if you need us.Want to get a clearer picture of how your previous coursework may transfer to CSU Global? The CollegeSource Transfer Evaluation System lets you search evaluated courses from other institutions and see how they may apply to your degree. It’s a helpful way to explore transfer possibilities before you apply. For courses not listed, our team can review them individually during the evaluation process.

Please note: Results are not guaranteed to include all courses offered. If you have completed a course in the past three years that is not included on the course equivalency list, please submit a review request to transcript.evaluation@csuglobal.edu, and include the course name, description, and syllabus. Transfer equivalencies are subject to change at any time without warning.

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Return on Investment

The Value of a CSU Global Degree

Is a CSU Global degree worth the time and cost?

Will it support my career?

Will it move me closer to the work I want to do?

Which CSU Global Degrees Have the Strongest Salary Outcomes?

82%

77%

76%

54%

How We Measure Return on Investment

Return-On-Investment

Employment Status

Degrees that go the distance.

Employment Status (by degree level)

Employment Status (by # of years post-program completion)

Employment Status for Certificate Completers

Full ROI Charts

Appendix

Let's Get Started Together

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