Marketing at Eastern Kentucky University

Eastern Kentucky's marketing program produces below-average early earnings that improve considerably with time, but graduates still lag behind Kentucky's stronger programs. Starting at $41,000, new alumni earn about $4,000 less than the state median and fall well behind what University of Kentucky ($48,100) and University of Louisville ($47,700) graduates command. At the 40th percentile among Kentucky marketing programs, this places EKU squarely in the bottom half of state options.

The positive story is the 23% earnings jump to $50,300 by year four, suggesting graduates gain valuable experience and momentum after a slow start. Debt levels of $25,200 are reasonable—the ratio of 0.61 means graduates owe about seven months of first-year salary. With EKU's accessible price point (39% of students receive Pell grants), the actual cost may run lower than the median debt figure suggests for many families.

The question is whether slightly lower debt justifies significantly lower earnings. A University of Kentucky graduate starts $7,000 ahead annually, which compounds to a substantial lifetime advantage. For Kentucky families specifically focused on marketing, EKU works as an affordable backup option, but students with admission profiles competitive for UK or UofL should seriously consider whether saving a few thousand in debt is worth the earnings gap.