Accounting at Alvernia University

Alvernia's accounting program lands squarely in the middle nationally but trails most Pennsylvania schools, with graduates earning $58,945 four years out—about $9,000 below the state median. Among 76 Pennsylvania accounting programs, this ranks in just the 40th percentile. The debt load of $25,500 is reasonable and slightly below both national and state averages, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48. That means graduates owe roughly six months' salary, which they should be able to handle with disciplined budgeting.

The challenge is the opportunity cost. Pennsylvania students have access to stronger accounting programs at schools like Drexel and University of Scranton, where graduates earn $12,000-15,000 more annually. That earnings gap compounds significantly over a career. The 10% earnings growth from year one to year four is solid, suggesting the degree opens doors to advancement, but you're starting from a lower base than most state competitors.

One important caveat: the sample size here is small (under 30 graduates), so these numbers could shift with more data. For a student who needs to stay local to Reading or who receives substantial financial aid making Alvernia significantly cheaper than alternatives, this could work. But if you're paying comparable tuition to other Pennsylvania schools, the earnings data suggests looking at higher-ranked programs first.