Accounting at Belhaven University

Belhaven's accounting graduates actually out-earn the typical Mississippi accounting grad by about $1,300 annually, placing them above the state median despite ranking in just the 12th percentile nationally. That gap tells you something important: Mississippi's accounting market pays substantially less than the national average ($42K median versus $54K nationally), but Belhaven holds its own within the state at the 60th percentile. The $29,000 debt load sits slightly above both state and national medians, but with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67, graduates are looking at roughly 8 months of gross salary in debt—manageable by conventional standards.

The real limitation here is market scale. Belhaven grads earn $16,000 less than University of Mississippi accounting majors and trail even Mississippi State by about $18,000, suggesting that either the program's regional connections or its student preparation doesn't open doors to the higher-paying accounting positions in the state. For families planning to stay in Mississippi and looking at private Christian education options, this program works as a practical credential. But if your child has the grades for Ole Miss or Mississippi State, those paths offer significantly better earnings for similar or lower debt. The small sample size (under 30 graduates tracked) means individual outcomes could vary more widely than these medians suggest.