Business Administration, Management and Operations at Dean College

Dean College graduates start near the bottom of Massachusetts business programs—at $39,200, first-year earnings trail the state median by nearly $10,000 and rank in just the 25th percentile. But here's what matters: four years out, these graduates reach $52,171, which represents 33% growth and puts them within striking distance of the national 75th percentile. That's genuine momentum, even if the starting point is modest.

The $26,250 debt load is exactly average for business programs both nationally and in Massachusetts, creating a manageable 0.67 ratio to first-year earnings that improves substantially as salaries climb. This isn't the premium business education you'd get at Boston College or Babson, where graduates start at $70,000+, but it's also not priced like one. For families who need an accessible entry point—Dean's 74% admission rate and 30% Pell Grant population suggest this is their audience—the trajectory matters more than the starting salary.

The critical question is whether that year-one gap ever fully closes. While the growth rate is impressive, graduates who start $10,000 behind their Massachusetts peers need several years of strong performance to catch up. This program works if your child values the four-year trajectory over immediate post-graduation earnings, but families expecting typical Massachusetts business school outcomes should look elsewhere.