Accountingat University of Southern Mississippi
Graduates earn $40,764/yr in their first year — about 24.0% below the national Accounting average. Base-case 10-year earnings $539K; scenarios range from $500K to $547K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Southern Mississippi
First-year earnings of $40,764 place University of Southern Mississippi below the $53,724 national median for Accounting — worth weighing against tuition and cost of living.
The 14.0x 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 — 62% task exposure — and the 9% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
With first-year pay of $40,764 far exceeding the $18,425 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
At #577 out of 714 programs, University of Southern Mississippi's financial outcomes for Accounting trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $40,764 to $53,464 shows 31% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Southern Mississippi's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Accounting
How University of Southern Mississippi stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Southern Mississippi
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Southern Mississippi, 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 →Frequently asked about Accounting at University of Southern Mississippi
How does University of Southern Mississippi's Accounting program score?
A score of 61/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of Southern Mississippi 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.
Why are Accounting earnings lower at University of Southern Mississippi?
Lower starting pay at University of Southern Mississippi may reflect local labor market conditions rather than program quality. Many graduates see convergence with national averages within 3-5 years.