Hospitality Administration/Management at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus

Fairleigh Dickinson's hospitality program shows solid mid-career growth, with earnings jumping 36% from $38,330 to $52,002 between years one and four. The program outperforms 76% of hospitality programs nationally and sits at the median among New Jersey's limited options. Graduates leave with $25,000 in debt—slightly above the national benchmark but manageable given the trajectory.

The numbers should be interpreted cautiously given the small graduating class size, but the pattern is encouraging. Starting salaries match the state median and exceed the national benchmark by about $3,600, suggesting the program's New Jersey location provides valuable industry connections. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65 is reasonable for a hospitality degree, and the strong year-four earnings indicate career advancement that many hospitality programs don't achieve.

For families weighing this against other NJ options, FDU-Metropolitan performs identically to its Florham campus counterpart on paper and significantly better than Stockton. The real question is whether the growth trajectory holds with larger cohorts—but if you're confident your child will stick with hospitality and leverage the New York metro area's dense restaurant and hotel scene, the four-year earnings suggest this investment pays off.