Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations at Georgia State University

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52 is manageable—taking on debt equal to roughly half your starting salary is a reasonable position—but the bigger uncertainty here is whether an entrepreneurship bachelor's degree delivers enough structure and network to justify four years when many successful business owners skip traditional credentials entirely. Peer programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $45,000, which is respectable for a recent graduate but not exceptional, and it's worth questioning whether those graduates are launching ventures or taking conventional corporate jobs to service their debt.

Georgia State serves a predominantly Pell-eligible student body, which means many families here are weighing opportunity cost carefully. The estimated $23,000 in debt is below the national median for this major, but entrepreneurship as a field rewards execution and relationships more than classroom theory. If your student has a clear business concept and plans to leverage Georgia State's Atlanta location for startup ecosystem access, this program could provide valuable mentorship and credibility. If they're drawn to entrepreneurship more abstractly, consider whether they might achieve similar outcomes through a general business degree with lower debt or through starting a venture while completing a more flexible credential.

The practical takeaway: these estimates suggest moderate financial risk, but entrepreneurship programs are uniquely difficult to evaluate through earnings data alone since many graduates deliberately choose low-income startup years over salaried employment. Visit campus, talk to alumni about what they're actually doing five years out, and be honest about whether your student has the specific goals and self-direction that make this credential genuinely useful rather than aspirational.