Accounting at DeVry University-Arizona

DeVry-Arizona's accounting graduates face a troubling financial equation: $54,380 in median debt against earnings that barely move from $54,264 to $54,099 over four years. That debt load is more than double both the national median ($25,000) and Arizona's median ($32,684) for accounting programs, placing it in the 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of accounting programs saddle graduates with less debt. With over half of students receiving Pell grants, these debt levels hit particularly hard for families who can least afford it.

The earnings picture offers little compensation for this debt burden. While graduates do outperform the state median slightly (60th percentile in Arizona), they're essentially tied with Grand Canyon University's outcomes at half the debt. More concerning, they lag significantly behind Arizona State and University of Arizona graduates who earn $4,000-6,000 more annually. The complete absence of earnings growth from year one to year four suggests limited career advancement, which matters when you're servicing debt equal to your entire first year's salary.

For an anxious parent, the math here is stark: your child could attend ASU or U of Arizona, likely pay substantially less in debt, and see meaningfully higher starting salaries with better growth trajectories. Unless DeVry offers compelling personal circumstances like schedule flexibility for working students, the premium they're charging isn't translating into career advantages.