Physics at Baldwin Wallace University

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.49 suggests manageable student loans, though the full picture here requires some extrapolation. Since neither earnings nor debt figures are available from Baldwin Wallace's own graduates, these estimates come from national medians across similar physics programs—a necessary workaround when graduate samples are too small to report publicly.

The $47,670 first-year earnings estimate sits at the national median but trails what physics graduates typically earn in Ohio, where the state median reaches $53,504. Ohio State's reported figure matches that state benchmark, creating a roughly $6,000 gap between what comparable programs in-state produce and what Baldwin Wallace graduates might expect. Whether that gap reflects actual outcomes or simply the limitation of using national rather than local data is impossible to know without more graduates entering the workforce from this program.

For parents weighing this investment, the estimated $23,120 in debt appears reasonable—it would require roughly half a first-year salary to repay. The challenge is that you're making a decision with borrowed data points rather than Baldwin Wallace's track record. If your student is committed to physics and values a smaller university environment (Baldwin Wallace's 77% admission rate and modest student body suggest more accessible faculty), this could work. But if employment outcomes matter most, programs with reported data offer more certainty about what graduates actually earn after degree completion.