Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations at Goldey-Beacom College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56 tells a relatively manageable story, even though we're working with national estimates rather than Goldey-Beacom's actual graduate outcomes. Based on comparable entrepreneurial programs nationwide, first-year earnings of $45,265 against $25,396 in debt means graduates would need to dedicate roughly 56% of their first year's salary to clear their loans—challenging but within the range where financial recovery is realistic.

The uncertainty here matters significantly: Delaware's other entrepreneurial program (University of Delaware) reports actual first-year earnings of $52,185, nearly $7,000 higher than the national baseline we're using as a proxy. Whether Goldey-Beacom's graduates land closer to that state median or below the national average makes a meaningful difference in repayment timelines. The college's 39% Pell grant population suggests it serves students who may need every dollar of that potential earnings boost, making the $7,000 gap between state and national figures more than academic.

For an anxious parent, the question is whether a small business degree justifies moderate debt when outcomes are unclear. The national benchmarks suggest neither exceptional returns nor disaster, but without school-specific data, you're betting that Goldey-Beacom's regional connections and business network can deliver Delaware-level outcomes rather than leaving graduates tracking toward the lower national baseline. That $7,000 swing represents the difference between comfortable repayment and financial strain in those critical early years.