Economics at Gardner-Webb University

With an estimated $19,500 in debt—slightly below what peer economics programs typically carry—and first-year earnings around $46,425 based on other North Carolina programs, this degree lands right at the state median but about $5,000 below the national benchmark for economics graduates. That gap matters less when the debt load stays manageable: the 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests graduates would need less than half their first-year salary to cover what they borrowed, which is workable for most households.

The challenge is knowing exactly where Gardner-Webb students actually land. These estimates draw from similar economics programs across North Carolina, a state where outcomes vary dramatically—from Duke's nearly $100,000 median to the state average of $46,425. Without school-specific data, you're betting on Gardner-Webb tracking closer to programs like East Carolina than to higher-performing competitors. The admission rate and test scores suggest a solid regional university, but not one positioned to match the networks and recruiting pipelines that drive the higher earnings at Wake Forest or Chapel Hill.

For families who can afford to stay near this debt level, the risk is moderate. The field itself remains marketable, and the debt burden won't be crushing. But if your student has competitive options with reported outcomes—especially if those outcomes exceed the state median—those schools remove the guesswork about what this investment actually buys.