Accounting at Barton College

North Carolina accounting programs typically produce first-year earnings around $48,500, which is where graduates from similar programs at Barton College would likely land. That's about $5,000 below the national accounting median and roughly $21,000 less than what Elon University grads in the same field report earning. The estimated $26,000 in debt is fairly standard for accounting programs nationwide, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio that looks manageable at 0.54—meaning debt represents just over half of that first year's salary.

The challenge here isn't the debt load itself but rather the earnings gap. When NC State and Appalachian State graduates are pulling in $55,000-$57,000 in their first year, that $8,000 difference compounds over time. Accounting is typically a reliable field for return on investment, but location and employer networks matter significantly for landing higher-paying positions at larger firms or corporate accounting departments.

For families considering Barton's accounting program, the math works better if the actual cost to attend comes in well below that $26,000 debt estimate through scholarships or grants. At that debt level and these estimated earnings, your child would be looking at reasonable monthly payments, but starting behind peers from larger state programs could mean slower career progression and wealth building in those crucial early years.