Business Administration, Management and Operations at Fisk University

Fisk's business program graduates 30 students per year earning $38,089—roughly $5,000 below Tennessee's state median and nearly $8,000 below the national average. What's particularly notable is the within-state comparison: while Fisk lands at the 40th percentile among Tennessee business programs, the top five in-state schools all produce graduates earning between $52,000 and $59,000, suggesting a significant earnings gap among the state's programs.

The debt load of $26,120 is essentially at the national median, yielding a manageable 0.69 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's not alarming on its own, but the relatively modest starting salary means less runway for loan repayment and savings compared to peers at other Tennessee schools. For context, nearly half of Fisk students receive Pell grants, indicating a substantial population with limited family resources who depend heavily on these early career earnings.

The small sample size here matters—with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers could shift considerably year to year. If your student is considering Fisk specifically for its HBCU mission, community, or Nashville location, understand that the business program's financial outcomes trail both state and national benchmarks. Families should weigh whether those distinctive institutional qualities justify accepting lower initial earnings compared to other Tennessee options.