International Business at Framingham State University

A $49,890 first-year salary based on national peer programs falls significantly short of what Massachusetts international business graduates typically earn—the state median is $67,794. That $18,000 gap matters when you're carrying debt, even at an estimated $21,500. While this debt load is manageable compared to national norms for the major, similar programs in Massachusetts produce substantially stronger financial outcomes. The most telling comparison: Northeastern grads in this field start at nearly $81,000, and even Massachusetts Maritime's program—another accessible public option—reports starting salaries around $55,000.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43 looks reasonable on paper, suggesting graduates could handle payments while building careers in international trade, supply chain management, or global marketing. But that calculation assumes Framingham's actual outcomes match the national averages used for this estimate. Given that Massachusetts employers generally pay international business graduates much more than the national average, there's real uncertainty here. If Framingham's program performs closer to state norms, this would be a strong value proposition. If it tracks closer to the national baseline we're using, you're paying Massachusetts tuition for outcomes you could get in lower-cost states.

The core question: does Framingham's location in the Boston metro area translate to the kind of corporate access and internship opportunities that justify choosing it over UMass or other state schools with more transparent outcomes data? Without actual graduate earnings to confirm, you're taking that on faith.