Business/Commerce at Bethel College-North Newton

Bethel College-North Newton's business graduates earn $34,879 in their first year—roughly $13,000 less than the Kansas median and nearly $20,000 below what graduates from Kansas State earn. While the program sits at the 25th percentile among Kansas business schools, the 5th percentile national ranking reveals how far below typical business program outcomes this falls. Even accounting for Kansas's lower cost of living, these earnings lag significantly behind in-state alternatives.

The debt picture is relatively manageable at $27,000 (close to national norms), which keeps the debt-to-earnings ratio at 0.77. However, this ratio matters less when the earnings themselves are so low—you're financing debt on a starting salary that barely exceeds $35,000. The school's 96% admission rate and 39% Pell grant enrollment suggest it serves students who might have fewer educational options, but that doesn't change the economic reality of what graduates earn.

The small sample size means these numbers could shift with future cohorts, but the gap is too wide to dismiss. Parents should ask pointed questions about job placement rates and where graduates actually work. For a business degree in Kansas, you can likely find stronger returns elsewhere without dramatically different upfront costs.