Business Administration, Management and Operations at Cleveland State Community College

Cleveland State Community College's Business Administration associate degree graduates earn $50,301 in their first year—nearly $20,000 more than the Tennessee median for this program and topping 95% of similar programs both statewide and nationally. Combined with manageable debt of $8,750, this creates an impressive 0.17 debt-to-earnings ratio that beats even premium programs. First-year graduates here out-earn those from every other Tennessee community college offering this degree, including much larger schools like Volunteer State and Chattanooga State.

The significant concern is what happens next: earnings drop to $37,047 by year four, a 26% decline that's hard to ignore. This pattern suggests graduates may be securing strong entry-level positions but not advancing as expected, or that initial opportunities prove temporary. Still, even with this decline, fourth-year earnings remain competitive with Tennessee benchmarks.

For families looking at Tennessee community colleges, this program offers exceptional immediate value at reasonable cost. The debt load is modest enough that even if career trajectory doesn't match initial promise, graduates won't be financially trapped. Just understand that the strong starting salary may represent a peak rather than a launching point—but given the low financial risk, this is still one of Tennessee's better bets for an associate degree in business.