Marketing at Davis & Elkins College

Based on comparable marketing programs in West Virginia, this degree comes with an estimated $26,000 in debt—slightly above the national median—for earnings that track close to both state and national averages at around $42,000. That 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests graduates would dedicate roughly 7-8 months of their first year's income to debt payments, a manageable threshold if those earnings hold steady and grow over time.

The challenge is that West Virginia's marketing landscape shows significant variation. Online option American Public University reports graduates earning $53,000+ right out of the gate, while Marshall sits closer to $37,000. Davis & Elkins serves a student body where 40% receive Pell grants, and smaller private colleges often provide mentorship and networking that larger institutions can't match. But without actual outcomes data for this specific program, you're making an investment based on what similar programs produce, not what D&E's marketing graduates achieve.

The estimated numbers suggest reasonable value if your student plans to leave West Virginia for stronger marketing markets—or if they're certain about the career path. But with half the state's programs producing notably different outcomes, and no track record visible for this particular program, you're accepting more uncertainty than usual. If your child is undecided about marketing specifically, a school with transparent outcomes data would reduce that guesswork.