Human Resources Management and Services at Friends University

Friends University's HR program shows solid first-year earnings at $54,539—above both the Kansas median ($49,063) and the national benchmark ($50,361), placing it in the 60th percentile statewide. However, a critical red flag emerges in the earnings trajectory: graduates see a 7% income decline by year four, dropping to $50,553. This backward trajectory is unusual for a bachelor's degree and suggests either career instability or graduates moving into lower-paying roles over time.

The debt burden demands serious attention. At $46,619, graduates carry nearly double the state median ($30,736) and 75% more than the national average ($26,625). While the 0.85 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't catastrophic, it means starting your career owing nearly a full year's salary—and that's before accounting for the declining earnings pattern. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty, but these numbers align with what you'd expect from a private university versus public alternatives like Wichita State.

For anxious parents weighing this investment: your child could start slightly ahead of typical Kansas HR graduates but would carry significantly more debt to get there. If Friends University is the only option offering the right fit or support system, the numbers aren't prohibitive. But if Wichita State or other public options are viable, they'd deliver comparable outcomes with substantially less financial burden—and their graduates aren't seeing the same earnings decline.