Business Administration, Management and Operations at Columbus State University

Columbus State's business program underperforms both state and national benchmarks by a meaningful margin. First-year earnings of $37,561 trail the Georgia median by $7,000 and sit in just the 25th percentile among the state's 54 business programs—meaning three-quarters of comparable Georgia programs produce better outcomes. The debt load of $30,722, while manageable at 0.82 times first-year earnings, exceeds both state and national medians despite the lower earnings.

The 99% admission rate and below-average SAT scores suggest Columbus State serves students who might not access more selective alternatives like Georgia Tech ($73,557) or UGA ($56,630). For families in that position, the calculus depends heavily on net cost. If your child can attend at significantly reduced tuition or graduate with less than the median debt, this becomes more defensible—the earnings do grow 14% by year four, and entry-level business jobs paying $37,000 aren't catastrophic starting points. However, at full debt load, graduates will likely struggle more than peers from stronger Georgia programs.

The reality: this is a bottom-quartile option in a state with several stronger public alternatives. If Columbus State offers substantially lower out-of-pocket costs or your child needs the geographic convenience, it can work. Otherwise, Georgia State, Kennesaw State, or even regional competitors likely offer better return on investment for a business degree.