International Business at Baylor University

At $40,782 in first-year earnings, this program lands squarely at the 40th percentile among Texas international business degrees—and well below the $49,890 national median. That's a significant gap for a selective private university where average SAT scores hit 1313. The estimated $25,000 in debt (derived from similar programs at Baylor) translates to a manageable 0.61 debt-to-earnings ratio, but graduates are still starting behind peers at schools like Saint Edward's University ($51,843) and UT Arlington ($48,625), where first-year outcomes are notably stronger.

The 53% earnings growth to $62,473 by year four suggests the degree eventually delivers value, but that four-year mark still trails what top programs produce right out of the gate. For a family paying private tuition at an institution that serves relatively few Pell-eligible students, the question becomes whether Baylor's broader network and campus experience justify starting your career $8,000 below the national median for this field. The debt load won't crush you, but the early earnings gap means you're playing catch-up longer than you might expect.

If international business is the goal, scrutinize what Baylor specifically offers—study abroad partnerships, corporate connections, language immersion—that might explain or compensate for the earnings lag. The estimated figures make it hard to know if this particular program underperforms or simply attracts students headed for different career trajectories. Without clearer outcome data, you're betting on reputation and fit rather than proven ROI.