Economics at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus

First-year earnings around $52,000 place this program squarely at the median for economics degrees both in New Jersey and nationally—but with far less certainty than that precision suggests. Because Fairleigh Dickinson's graduate sample is too small for the Department of Education to report, these figures come from the middle of what other New Jersey economics programs produce. That's a reasonable starting point for estimation, but it masks considerable variation: Princeton economics graduates earn $103,000 their first year, while several other New Jersey programs cluster near $52,000. Without knowing where Fairleigh Dickinson's actual outcomes fall within this range, you're working with informed guesswork rather than track record.

The estimated debt of $21,400 looks manageable against $52,000 in earnings—a 0.41 ratio means roughly five months of gross income to cover what's borrowed. That's below both the state median for economics programs ($25,000) and the national figure ($22,800), suggesting borrowing levels that shouldn't create undue strain for someone earning the typical economics graduate salary. The 95% admission rate and 35% Pell enrollment indicate this program serves a broader range of students than more selective institutions.

The practical challenge: you're essentially betting on a program performing near the state average without verification that it does. If your child has admission offers from Rutgers or The College of New Jersey—where reported outcomes hover around $52,000 and $62,000 respectively—those represent known quantities. Fairleigh Dickinson may perform similarly, but the small graduate cohort means you're making that assumption without evidence.