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Business · Marketing Rank #162 of 502

Marketingat Portland State University

Graduates earn $41,395/yr in their first year — about 9.0% below the national Marketing average. Base-case 10-year earnings $614K; scenarios range from $549K to $631K depending on AI disruption.

Portland, OR Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
61 SOLID
62
Optimistic
55
Pessimistic
Earnings
$41,395
1-year post-graduation
ROI
14.1x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$614K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Portland State University

At $41,395/yr, Marketing graduates from Portland State University land near the $45,450 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.

The 13.7x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 54% task exposure — and the 13% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The median debt load of $18,000 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

Ranked #162 out of 502 programs, Portland State University's Marketing offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

Earnings growth from $41,395 to $67,800 over five years (64% 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
$549K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score55/100
Earnings Multiple12.2x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$614K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score61/100
Earnings Multiple13.7x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$631K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score62/100
Earnings Multiple14.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Marketing 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
Marketing managers
+6.6% 10-yr growth · 34,300 openings/yr
$161,030/yr
High
2
Sales managers
+4.7% 10-yr growth · 49,000 openings/yr
$138,060/yr
Moderate
3
Advertising and promotions managers
-2.2% 10-yr growth · 2,100 openings/yr
$126,960/yr
Moderate
4
Fundraising managers
+4.2% 10-yr growth · 3,600 openings/yr
$123,480/yr
High
5
Web and digital interface designers
+7.0% 10-yr growth · 9,100 openings/yr
$98,090/yr
High
6
Business teachers, postsecondary
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 8,100 openings/yr
$97,270/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Marketing

How Portland State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Pennsylvania
PA · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$83K
1-yr earn
3.7x
ROI
Georgetown University
DC · Private nonprofit
64
DW Score
$75K
1-yr earn
3.1x
ROI
Bucknell University
PA · Private nonprofit
62
DW Score
$71K
1-yr earn
2.8x
ROI
Washington University in St Louis
MO · Private nonprofit
51
DW Score
$71K
1-yr earn
1.8x
ROI
Villanova University
PA · Private nonprofit
62
DW Score
$70K
1-yr earn
2.9x
ROI
Also at Portland State University

Other top programs at Portland State University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Portland State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

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

Compare Marketing trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Marketing at Portland State University

How does Portland State University's Marketing program score?

This program scores 61/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Marketing graduates.

How vulnerable is Marketing to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Marketing careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 54% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.