Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations at George Fox University

George Fox University's entrepreneurship bachelor's runs about $25,000 in debt based on typical borrowing patterns at similar private institutions. That's reasonably close to the national median for this degree ($24,125), though peer programs suggest first-year earnings around $45,000—creating a debt load equal to about 56% of that initial salary. For a business degree at a private university, this represents a middle-ground scenario: not the rock-bottom debt of a public school, but also not the crushing burden some private programs carry.

The challenge with entrepreneurship degrees is that they prepare students for two very different outcomes—traditional employment in small business management (where that $45,000 figure makes sense) or launching their own ventures (where early earnings are wildly unpredictable and often minimal). If your child plans to start a business immediately after graduation, carrying $25,000 in debt creates real constraints on taking entrepreneurial risks. The monthly payments on that amount can make it difficult to bootstrap a startup or survive lean early years.

Given George Fox's 96% admission rate and the uncertainty in these estimates, you're essentially betting on your child's ability to either land solid management work or successfully launch a business despite debt obligations. The numbers suggest this works for some graduates but likely requires either substantial financial cushion or willingness to take a more traditional employment path first.