Business Administration, Management and Operations at College of Saint Mary

When actual earnings data are unavailable due to small cohort sizes, estimated figures based on peer programs become the best available guide—and for College of Saint Mary's business program, those estimates suggest a financially viable path. With projected first-year earnings around $47,500 and estimated debt near $27,000, graduates would face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57, comfortably below the 1.0 threshold that typically signals repayment challenges. These figures align closely with Nebraska's statewide benchmarks and slightly outpace the national median for business bachelor's degrees.

The challenge is competitive positioning. Other Nebraska business programs with reported outcomes show earnings ranging from $47,600 to over $60,000 for first-year graduates. Bellevue University's graduates, for instance, earn substantially more—though that program serves a different student population. The closer comparisons are programs like UNK and UNL, which produce similar starting salaries but may carry different debt loads or offer different networking advantages in Omaha's business community.

For families investing in this program, the key question is whether College of Saint Mary's distinct environment—a smaller, Catholic, women-focused institution—justifies choosing it over larger state universities with documented outcomes in the same salary range. The estimated debt load appears manageable, but you're making this decision without knowing how this specific program's graduates actually perform in the job market.