Marketing at Augustana University

A debt load of $26,000 against first-year earnings around $45,000 puts this program in reasonable territory—the 0.58 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests graduates should be able to manage their loans without financial distress. What's worth noting here is that comparable programs elsewhere in South Dakota appear to produce slightly stronger outcomes: the University of South Dakota's marketing graduates earn roughly $48,000, and Northern State's graduates clear $45,800. These aren't dramatic differences, but they do suggest Augustana's estimated outcomes sit at the lower end of what's typical for the state.

The broader context matters too. Nationally, marketing bachelor's programs typically produce first-year earnings of about $45,000, so peer programs across the country suggest this field delivers modest but steady entry-level salaries. The debt estimate aligns with what similar private liberal arts colleges typically produce for their graduates. For a selective school like Augustana (59% admission rate, solid test scores), you might expect outcomes to track closer to the stronger programs in the state, though without actual data for this specific program, that's speculation.

The practical bottom line: if your child is set on marketing and Augustana for non-financial reasons, the estimated numbers suggest manageable debt relative to likely earnings. But if purely comparing outcomes, the state's public options show marginally better early-career returns for similar or lower debt—a meaningful consideration if staying in South Dakota post-graduation is the plan.