Business Administration, Management and Operations at George Washington University

Business degrees at DC's top universities show a wide spread, with Georgetown leading at $77,000 and GW landing in the middle of the pack. Based on comparable business programs in the District, students here can expect around $57,500 in first-year earnings—respectable but trailing Georgetown by $20,000 and sitting just above the median. With an estimated $24,849 in debt, the financial picture looks manageable at face value: graduates would dedicate roughly 43% of their first year's salary to loan repayment.

The challenge is that these figures come from peer programs, not GW's actual graduates, so there's inherent uncertainty about whether this specific program delivers on the District average. What we do know is that GW's selectivity (44% admission rate, 1433 SAT average) positions it between Georgetown and American University, yet the estimated earnings don't clearly reflect that advantage. Meanwhile, only 15% of students receive Pell grants, suggesting most families here are already positioned to absorb costs beyond federal loans.

For families paying full freight at a private university, the question becomes whether GW's network and DC location justify the investment when peer data suggests you're paying premium tuition for middle-tier outcomes. The debt load is reasonable, but without school-specific data showing a clear earnings edge, you're essentially betting on brand and connections rather than documented results.