For many Marshall University graduates, staying in the Huntington area means balancing affordable living and limited job mobility. Huntington’s generally low cost of living could help settle any fears recent or future graduates might have.
According to salary.com, the monthly cost of living in Huntington for single one-person households is $2,345, which totals just over $28,000 annually. According to niche.com, the average salary for Marshall graduates one year after graduation is $41,873. While it is not the case for everyone, it is calming to see Huntington might be one of the more affordable cities for its alumni.
“I would not be able to live if I was not married and we did not have two incomes,” said Neeley Jeffery, 26-year-old Marshall alum and Kenova resident.
Jeffery was a music education and vocal performance major during her time at Marshall but did not get her certifications and instead went into social work and human services, now working as an employment training specialist. She works on job and employment training with disabled adults as well as students who have individualized education programs.
“Where music education is so specialized, when people get a job in it, they tend to hold onto that. If I went into that field, I probably wouldn’t have a job around here,” Jeffery said when asked about the job market for music education students.
According to niche.com, 95% of Marshall graduates are employed one year after graduation, and 94% are employed five years after graduation compared to the national averages of 91% and 89%. Many former students say the opportunities of networking at Marshall were very significant, with 90% saying the alumni network surrounding the university is very strong.
“I think there are opportunities for growth, but it depends on where you work,” Jeffery said. “Huntington being a center for drug and addiction counseling and all these things – it’s very needs based, so there are a lot of roles, but they’re kind of difficult to get, and it just depends on the company you work for on whether there is opportunity for growth.”
Jeffery’s sister, Noelle, studied environmental science at Marshall.
“I just think that many opportunities within the state, but specifically Huntington, are often sort of overlooked by people who might be eager to move,” she said.
“It benefitted me to stay local, not in a financial way, but my family is around here, I got married around here – this is just where I’ve decided to build my life, and we make it work,” Jeffery said.
Caitlyn Thompson can be contacted at [email protected].
