Business Administration, Management and Operations at Adrian College

Adrian College's business program shows earnings that trail both national and Michigan standards by a significant margin. First-year graduates earn $41,129—about $9,400 below the Michigan median and $4,500 below the national average. Among Michigan's 40 business programs, this lands in the 25th percentile, meaning three-quarters of state peers deliver stronger outcomes. The gap is particularly stark when you consider that Michigan State graduates start at $71,253 and even regional competitors like Grand Valley produce $57,760 earners.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) demands caution, but the debt picture offers some relief: at $27,000, it matches both state and national medians, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.66. Graduates do see solid income growth—21% over four years—but even that trajectory only brings them to $49,671, still well below where many Michigan programs start.

For Michigan families, this represents a notable financial compromise. If your student has admission to stronger state programs, the earnings gap is too substantial to ignore—we're talking about $20,000+ annual differences that compound over a career. The program might make sense if your child has specific reasons to attend Adrian (athletics, smaller class sizes, scholarship aid), but purely as a business investment, the numbers suggest looking elsewhere in Michigan's competitive landscape.