Business Administration, Management and Operations at Goldey-Beacom College

Similar business programs in Delaware suggest first-year earnings around $44,900 for this degree, though four years out, Goldey-Beacom graduates report actual median earnings of $43,600. That backward slide—or at best, flat trajectory—stands in sharp contrast to University of Delaware's business grads who start at $58,000. The $22,434 debt load is below the state median for business degrees ($25,125), which offers some consolation, but the 0.50 debt-to-earnings ratio still means graduates are carrying nearly half a year's salary in student loans into a career that appears to plateau early.

What makes this particularly challenging is the uncertainty itself. The Department of Education suppresses first-year data when graduate samples are too small, meaning we're working from estimates based on just three comparable Delaware programs. The actual four-year figure—the only reported number for this school—suggests Goldey-Beacom's outcomes may track closer to Delaware State's $44,000 than Delaware's $58,000, placing graduates in the lower half of the state's business degree outcomes.

For families considering this investment, the question becomes whether attending a smaller institution with demonstrably modest outcomes justifies even below-average debt when Delaware's flagship produces business graduates earning $15,000 more annually. The 77% admission rate and 39% Pell population suggest accessibility, but accessibility without upward mobility leaves families weighing $22,000 in debt against a career starting in the low-to-mid $40,000s with little apparent growth.