Business Administration, Management and Operations at Concordia University-Wisconsin

Concordia University-Wisconsin's business management graduates earn substantially more than the national average—landing in the 87th percentile nationally—but the story gets more complicated when you look closer at the Wisconsin market. With first-year earnings of $56,347, graduates are doing well, but they're only at the 60th percentile among Wisconsin business programs. This means you're paying above-average debt ($27,625) for outcomes that are merely above-average within the state, while flagship UW-Madison graduates earn $67,699 and even regional schools like UW-Oshkosh post comparable numbers.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.49 is quite manageable, and earnings growth of 16% over four years shows positive career trajectory. Still, this is the challenging reality of Wisconsin's competitive business education landscape: there are simply many strong options, and Concordia sits in the middle tier. If your child has been admitted to one of the higher-earning programs listed above, the financial case for Concordia weakens unless there are compelling non-monetary factors like fit or scholarships that change the equation.

Bottom line: This is a solid program that outperforms most business schools nationally, but within Wisconsin—where your child will likely work and network—it's mid-pack. Unless Concordia offers significantly better financial aid than higher-earning alternatives, carefully weigh whether the outcomes justify the investment when stronger-performing options exist in-state.