Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degree) at Austin College

Median Earnings (1yr)

$38,592

5th percentile

25th percentile in Texas

Median Debt

$26,000

11% above national median

Analysis

A $38,592 starting salary for a finance degree in Texas should raise immediate red flags. This lands in the 5th percentile nationally for finance programs—meaning 95% of comparable programs produce better outcomes—and even among Texas schools, where it reaches the 25th percentile, it's trailing the state median by $14,000. When top programs in the state like UT Austin and Texas A&M are launching graduates at $70,000-80,000+, this gap represents real money lost over a career.

The $26,000 debt load isn't catastrophic by itself, and the 0.67 debt-to-earnings ratio stays within manageable territory. However, the issue here isn't affordability—it's opportunity cost. Finance is typically a high-earning field that justifies college investment, but these outcomes look more like general business administration numbers than specialized finance training. For a moderately selective school (47% admission rate, 1272 SAT average), these returns fall short of what similar students achieve at peer institutions.

The critical caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so a few outliers could skew the entire picture. If your student is genuinely committed to Austin College for fit or merit aid reasons, investigate whether finance majors connect to Dallas-Fort Worth financial services firms and what recent graduates are actually doing. Otherwise, Texas offers dozens of finance programs with proven track records of much stronger earnings outcomes.

Where Austin College Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all finance and financial management services bachelors's programs nationally

Earnings Distribution

How Austin College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Texas

Finance and Financial Management Services bachelors's programs at peer institutions in Texas (59 total in state)

Scroll to see more →

School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Austin CollegeSherman	$46,500	$38,592	—	$26,000	0.67
Southern Methodist UniversityDallas	$64,460	$83,159	$113,839	$19,500	0.23
The University of Texas at AustinAustin	$11,678	$81,844	$95,994	$20,500	0.25
Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth	$57,220	$78,453	$90,933	$19,500	0.25
Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station	$13,099	$71,409	$90,976	$16,880	0.24
University of Phoenix-TexasDallas	—	$70,963	$59,017	$48,469	0.68
National Median	—	$53,590	—	$23,332	0.44

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with finance and financial management services graduates

Financial Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of a branch, office, or department of an establishment.

$161,700/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Treasurers and Controllers

Direct financial activities, such as planning, procurement, and investments for all or part of an organization.

$161,700/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Investment Fund Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate investment strategy or operations for a large pool of liquid assets supplied by institutional investors or individual investors.

$161,700/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Chief Executives

Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.

$105,350/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Chief Sustainability Officers

Communicate and coordinate with management, shareholders, customers, and employees to address sustainability issues. Enact or oversee a corporate sustainability strategy.

$105,350/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

General and Operations Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services. Usually manage through subordinate supervisors. Excludes First-Line Supervisors.

$105,350/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Personal Financial Advisors

Advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate. Duties include assessing clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, and financial objectives. May also buy and sell financial assets for clients.

$102,140/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Financial and Investment Analysts

Conduct quantitative analyses of information involving investment programs or financial data of public or private institutions, including valuation of businesses.

$101,910/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Financial Risk Specialists

Analyze and measure exposure to credit and market risk threatening the assets, earning capacity, or economic state of an organization. May make recommendations to limit risk.

$101,910/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Budget Analysts

Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations. Analyze budgeting and accounting reports.

$87,930/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Business Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Insurance Underwriters

Review individual applications for insurance to evaluate degree of risk involved and determine acceptance of applications.

$79,880/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Austin College, approximately 30% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Sample Size: Based on 20 graduates with reported earnings and 21 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.