Business Administration, Management and Operations at Augusta University

Augusta University's business program starts graduates at $36,900—significantly behind both state and national benchmarks. Among Georgia's 54 business programs, this ranks in just the 25th percentile, with first-year earnings about $7,500 below the state median. Nationally, it sits in the 14th percentile, placing it in the bottom tier of 1,600+ business programs.

The strong earnings growth—from $37K to $57K over four years—shows graduates can eventually reach competitive salaries, but that delayed trajectory matters. Many competing programs start students where Augusta's graduates arrive after four years of career building. The relatively low debt load ($29K versus $26K nationally) provides some cushion, but it doesn't offset the earnings gap enough to make the math work favorably. An 89% admission rate and below-average SAT scores suggest this serves students who might have limited alternatives, but parents should recognize the income tradeoff.

If Augusta University is the affordable or accessible option, the program won't saddle graduates with crushing debt and does lead to eventual middle-income earnings. But if your student can gain admission to UGA, Georgia Tech, or Emory—where business graduates start at $57K to $86K—those programs deliver substantially better returns even after accounting for higher costs.