Hospitality Administration/Management at Drexel University

Something significant happens between year one and year four for Drexel's hospitality graduates, and it's not what parents want to see. While comparable Pennsylvania programs suggest first-year earnings around $35,000—fairly typical for hospitality bachelor's degrees—actual reported earnings drop to just $20,390 by year four. That's roughly half what graduates from East Stroudsburg or Widener are earning, and it suggests either dramatic career path divergence or employment challenges specific to this program's alumni.

The estimated $26,000 debt load looks manageable against that first-year benchmark (a 0.74 ratio is reasonable), but it becomes problematic if the four-year earnings pattern holds. At $20,390 annually, graduates would face debt exceeding an entire year's income—a burden that makes little financial sense for a hospitality degree. Drexel's co-op program typically gives students valuable work experience, yet these outcomes don't reflect that advantage the way you'd expect.

The core issue here isn't the suppressed data requiring estimation—it's that unexplained earnings drop by year four. Either this program's graduates are leaving hospitality (where they'd be competitive) for lower-paying fields, or something about their preparation isn't translating to career progression. Until Drexel can explain why their hospitality alumni earn half what peers at similar Pennsylvania schools do four years out, families should look closely at those comparison programs where the trajectory appears more stable.