Economics at Arkansas State University

At a 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio, this economics degree appears manageable on paper—peer programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $51,700 against roughly $21,650 in debt. That's half a year's salary, which most financial advisors would consider reasonable. But here's the catch: Arkansas economics programs typically produce much lower starting salaries, with the state median at $41,200. If Arkansas State's actual outcomes track closer to state norms than national ones, that debt ratio becomes significantly less comfortable.

The uncertainty matters because there's no way to verify whether Arkansas State's economics graduates actually land those $51,700 starting positions or something closer to what other Arkansas schools report. The program's 70% admission rate and modest SAT scores suggest it may serve a different student population than the national sample used for these estimates. Meanwhile, similar programs at Hendrix and University of Central Arkansas—with actual reported data—show first-year earnings in the low $40,000s, which would push the debt burden toward a full year's salary instead of half.

If your child has strong alternatives with transparent outcomes, those deserve serious weight. If this is the affordable in-state option, the estimated numbers aren't alarming, but plan financially as if earnings might land $10,000 lower than projected.