Business Administration, Management and Operations at Earlham College

Earlham's business program graduates earn roughly $6,000 less than the typical Indiana business graduate—a meaningful gap that places this program in the bottom 40% statewide. While nearby Indiana schools like Ball State and Indiana Wesleyan see their business graduates earning in the high $50,000s or low $60,000s, Earlham's median first-year salary of $43,038 trails not only state competitors but also the national median by about $2,600.

The debt picture offers modest relief: at $27,000, borrowing levels sit near both state and national medians, producing a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63. That's below the concerning 1.0 threshold. However, the small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these figures could shift significantly year to year—a few students landing high-paying jobs or facing unemployment could dramatically alter the picture.

For parents considering this program, the question becomes whether Earlham's liberal arts environment justifies paying comparable debt for lower earnings than Indiana's larger universities deliver. If your student is drawn to Earlham's distinctive Quaker values and small-classroom experience, understand they may be trading some earning potential for that environment. If maximizing career outcomes is the priority, Indiana's public universities and other private options show stronger returns on investment for business degrees.