Business Administration, Management and Operations at Cumberland University

Cumberland's business program produces graduates earning just $35,538 a year out—roughly $7,400 below the Tennessee median and $10,000 below the national average for business degrees. Among Tennessee's 38 business programs, this ranks in the bottom quarter. Compare that to in-state alternatives like UT-Knoxville or Union University, where business grads earn over $58,000, and the gap becomes stark. The debt load is manageable at $19,297, which is actually lower than typical business program debt, but that advantage matters less when earnings lag this significantly.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift substantially year to year, so there's inherent uncertainty in the data. Still, landing in the 10th percentile nationally suggests a persistent challenge rather than a statistical fluke. For context, business degrees typically offer strong early earnings—this program delivers the opposite.

If your child is set on Cumberland for other reasons (athletics, scholarships, campus fit), understand they'll likely need several years of career progression to catch up to what peers at other Tennessee schools earn immediately. For families prioritizing return on investment, Tennessee's public universities and several private alternatives show demonstrably stronger outcomes in this field. The low debt won't offset starting a career $20,000+ behind peers from comparable programs.