Business Operations Support and Assistant Services at Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach

With earnings of $22,570 and debt of $14,012, this certificate program lands below the national median but right at Virginia's median for business support programs—meaning it's performing about average for the state, even while trailing the national benchmark by roughly $2,500. The debt load, however, is notably lower than what most Virginia students in this field carry (state median: $17,347), giving graduates a more manageable financial starting point.

The real limitation here is the small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates means these numbers could swing significantly year to year. That uncertainty matters when you're making a financial decision. The 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't alarming, but $22,570 is a tight annual budget for an independent adult, particularly in a market like Virginia Beach. With 62% of students receiving Pell grants, this program clearly serves students who need affordable workforce entry, and the relatively modest debt helps on that front.

For families focused on quick workforce entry with minimal borrowing, this certificate checks those boxes—you're looking at roughly six months of earnings to clear the debt. But the earnings ceiling appears low compared to what's possible elsewhere in the country, and the small cohort size makes it hard to predict whether your student's outcome will match these figures. If staying local in Virginia is the priority and keeping debt under control matters more than maximizing earnings, this works. If geographic flexibility exists, exploring programs that hit that $27,000+ national benchmark might be worth the comparison.