Accounting at Eagle Gate College-Murray

The debt burden here deserves close attention: based on national patterns for similar private colleges, graduates of this program likely carry around $52,000 in student loans—more than triple what accounting majors typically owe at public universities in Utah. While first-year earnings estimates based on other Utah accounting programs suggest reasonable starting pay around $58,000, that debt load creates a tight financial squeeze that most Utah accounting graduates simply don't face.

The comparison to other options in the state tells a revealing story. Utah State University's accounting graduates earn nearly identical salaries but with median debt around $16,000. Even at Brigham Young University, where graduates out-earn this program's projections by $10,000, students borrow far less. For a field like accounting where credentials and CPA eligibility matter more than school prestige, paying premium prices for similar career outcomes is hard to justify.

With nearly half of students here receiving Pell grants, many families are already stretching financially. Taking on $52,000 in debt for a bachelor's degree—when multiple public universities in Utah offer the same credential with similar employment prospects at a fraction of the cost—creates unnecessary financial risk. If your child is set on this school, push hard on what actual graduates owe and earn, and seriously compare the total cost to UVU, Weber State, or Utah State before committing.