Business/Commerce at Edison State Community College

Similar business programs across Ohio suggest earnings around $39,000 in the first year—a solid if unspectacular start that matches the state median but trails the stronger regional programs by several thousand dollars. The estimated $20,565 in debt, however, sits well above the national median of $13,437 for business associate's degrees, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio that's workable but not comfortable.

The challenge here is twofold: you're borrowing more than peers nationwide while earning roughly the same, and the programs that do report actual outcomes in Ohio show considerable variation in graduate success. James A. Rhodes State College, for instance, produces first-year earnings $6,000 higher than the state median—suggesting program quality matters significantly in this field. Without Edison State's actual outcomes data, there's no way to know whether it performs more like the stronger or weaker Ohio programs.

For parents, this means accepting meaningful uncertainty about return on investment. The estimated figures suggest your student could manage the debt if employment comes quickly, but you're essentially betting on a program whose track record isn't publicly visible. If affordability is tight, consider whether your student could complete this degree with less borrowing through part-time work or starting at home—or whether programs with reported outcomes might reduce that guesswork.