Hospitality Administration/Management at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus

Fairleigh Dickinson's hospitality program manages something rare in this field: graduates earn above the national median from day one, and those earnings jump 36% to $52,000 within four years. While the small graduating class (under 30 students) means these numbers could shift year to year, the program currently outperforms 76% of hospitality programs nationally—a notable achievement given the field's modest overall earnings.

The $25,000 debt load sits right at New Jersey's median for hospitality programs, and with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65, graduates start with manageable obligations relative to their first-year salary. However, the 60th percentile ranking within New Jersey reveals that while this program performs well nationally, it's more middle-of-the-pack among the state's limited hospitality options. That said, New Jersey has only six programs total, making state comparisons less meaningful than the broader national picture.

For families considering this program, the combination of strong national standing and reasonable debt creates a workable financial picture, especially given the field's typical salary constraints. Just remember that hospitality careers often require flexibility in location and hours, and the small cohort size means these outcomes may not be as stable as programs with larger graduating classes.