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Business · Accounting Rank #371 of 714

Accountingat Luther College

Graduates earn $60,068/yr in their first year — about 12.0% above the national Accounting average. Base-case 10-year earnings $824K; scenarios range from $695K to $879K depending on AI disruption.

Decorah, IA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
69 SOLID
71
Optimistic
66
Pessimistic
Earnings
$60,068
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.5x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$824K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
63% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Luther College

Graduates earn $60,068/yr, edging above the $53,724 national average for Accounting — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.

The 4.1x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.

AI risk is moderate — 62% task exposure — and the 21% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $27,000 in median debt against $60,068 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

At #371 out of 714 programs, Luther College's financial outcomes for Accounting trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

Earnings growth from $60,068 to $90,836 over five years (51% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$695K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score66/100
Earnings Multiple3.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$824K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score69/100
Earnings Multiple4.1x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$879K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple4.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Luther College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Accounting graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Financial managers
+14.8% 10-yr growth · 74,600 openings/yr
$161,700/yr
High
2
Financial risk specialists
+6.5% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$106,000/yr
High
3
Financial and investment analysts
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 25,100 openings/yr
$101,350/yr
Moderate
4
Business teachers, postsecondary
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 8,100 openings/yr
$97,270/yr
Moderate
5
Financial examiners
+18.5% 10-yr growth · 5,700 openings/yr
$90,400/yr
High
6
Budget analysts
+1.0% 10-yr growth · 3,100 openings/yr
$87,930/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Accounting

How Luther College stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Georgetown University
DC · Private nonprofit
79
DW Score
$90K
1-yr earn
5.3x
ROI
Washington and Lee University
VA · Private nonprofit
74
DW Score
$82K
1-yr earn
3.1x
ROI
Santa Clara University
CA · Private nonprofit
77
DW Score
$78K
1-yr earn
4.2x
ROI
Villanova University
PA · Private nonprofit
75
DW Score
$78K
1-yr earn
3.4x
ROI
Lehigh University
PA · Private nonprofit
76
DW Score
$77K
1-yr earn
3.8x
ROI
Also at Luther College

Other top programs at Luther College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Luther College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Accounting offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Accounting trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Accounting at Luther College

How does Luther College's Accounting program score?

A score of 69/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Luther College trails the majority of Accounting programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Accounting to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Accounting careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 62% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.