Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods at Coppin State University

A $40,000 starting salary from a Management Sciences program is surprisingly low—this field typically emphasizes analytics and operations management skills that command closer to $62,000 nationally. While Coppin State ranks in just the 25th percentile among Maryland's six programs offering this degree, the more concerning issue is the nearly dollar-for-dollar debt load. Graduates leave with $39,151 in loans against first-year earnings barely above that threshold, creating immediate financial pressure that similar programs at University of Maryland-College Park ($72,000 earnings) simply don't impose.

The small sample size here matters considerably. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a handful of students working part-time or in unrelated fields could dramatically skew these numbers downward. That said, even accounting for statistical noise, the gap between this program and both state and national norms is wide enough to warrant serious concern. Half of Coppin State's students receive Pell grants, suggesting many families are already stretching financially—taking on nearly $40,000 in debt for a degree producing $40,000 salaries leaves almost no margin for error.

If your child is set on this school, push hard for understanding actual job placements and whether recent graduates are working in analytics, operations, or supply chain roles. The risk here isn't just the numbers—it's graduating with quantitative credentials that somehow aren't translating into the quantitative-field salaries this degree should unlock.