Business/Managerial Economics at Capital University

Capital's business economics program lands graduates at $59,203 in their first year—solidly above the national median but right in the middle of Ohio's competitive pack. The catch? With debt estimated at $24,000 based on similar programs nationally, you're looking at a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41, which means roughly five months of gross income to cover the full cost.

That earnings figure puts Capital slightly below Ohio's median of $60,236 and just shy of what Miami University and Ohio State graduates report. But here's the practical consideration: peer institutions in Ohio typically report debt around $21,000, potentially making this path about $3,000 more expensive than comparable options while delivering similar first-year outcomes. The program outperforms nationally—ranking in the 71st percentile—but faces stiffer competition at home where business economics programs cluster tightly around $60,000.

The fundamentals here are reasonable: less than half a year's salary in debt for a degree that earns above-average nationally. But if you're comparing offers from other Ohio schools in this field, check their actual debt figures carefully. A few thousand dollars in extra borrowing doesn't radically change the calculation, but when outcomes are this similar across schools, even modest differences in cost matter more than they would for a program with exceptional earnings.