Business Administration, Management and Operations at Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley State graduates start their business careers earning just $31,173—barely scraping past the national 5th percentile and landing below three-quarters of Georgia business programs. While that number climbs to nearly $44,000 by year four (closing the gap with Georgia's median), you're still looking at a graduate who spends their entire first year earning less than they owe, with debt exceeding that initial salary.

The 41% earnings growth over four years tells a more optimistic story than the starting point suggests, and the debt load, while substantial, isn't unusually high for business programs. Fort Valley serves a predominantly Pell-eligible student body (72%), and for students who might otherwise face barriers to completing a four-year degree, the trajectory from $31K to $44K represents meaningful economic mobility. However, Georgia offers significantly stronger options: nearby UGA graduates earn $56,630, and even among the state's 54 business programs, Fort Valley ranks in just the 25th percentile.

If your child has admission opportunities at Georgia's flagship universities or selective private schools, the earning differential is too large to ignore—we're talking $25,000+ more per year from day one. Fort Valley might make sense for students who need Fort Valley's specific support systems or who face geographic constraints, but go in understanding that the business degree will require patience and hustle in those early career years when debt payments loom largest.