Business Administration, Management and Operations at Crowley's Ridge College

Based on comparable business programs across Arkansas, students here are looking at roughly $27,000 in debt against first-year earnings of around $39,000—a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 that falls within manageable range. That ratio is actually better than many business programs nationwide, where median debt sits at $26,000 but earnings typically hit $45,700. The gap here isn't the debt load; it's that Arkansas business graduates generally earn about $7,000 less annually than the national median, regardless of which school they attend.

The challenge is that Arkansas' business market appears bifurcated. The state's top three programs—University of Arkansas Grantham, U of A's main campus, and John Brown—produce graduates earning $54,000 to $59,000 in their first year. Meanwhile, most other programs cluster around that $39,000-$40,000 mark. With nearly half of students here receiving Pell grants, those working-class families need to understand they're likely entering the market at the lower tier of Arkansas business outcomes, competing against graduates from larger, better-resourced programs.

For families prioritizing accessibility and keeping debt below $30,000, this could work—the monthly payment on $27,000 would be roughly $300, doable on a $39,000 salary. But if your child has options at Arkansas' flagship universities or could transfer after two years, those pathways might yield $15,000-$20,000 more in annual starting salary for similar debt.