Business Administration, Management and Operations at Bryan College-Dayton

Bryan College's business program posts numbers that quietly outperform most Tennessee competitors while keeping debt remarkably low. At $52,528 in first-year earnings, graduates earn about $10,000 more than the typical Tennessee business graduate and roughly $7,000 above the national median. Among Tennessee's 38 business programs, this lands in the 60th percentile—trailing only a handful of flagship schools like UT-Knoxville and smaller privates, yet beating programs at larger, more recognizable institutions.

The debt picture strengthens the value case considerably. At $27,000, borrowing sits just above state and national medians, but the 0.51 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates earn nearly twice what they owe—a comfortable margin that should allow aggressive loan paydown. Only 25% of business programs nationally achieve lower debt loads, positioning Bryan graduates to build wealth earlier than peers who borrow more for similar outcomes.

For families weighing Tennessee options, this presents a financially sensible choice. You're getting top-quartile national outcomes without the premium price tag of nearby competitors like Rhodes or Lipscomb, which command higher tuition but produce only marginally better earnings in this field. The moderate sample size suggests consistency across graduating classes, making the numbers reasonably reliable for planning purposes.