Business Administration, Management and Operations at Hartwick College

Hartwick's business program clocks in at the 60th percentile among New York's 94 business schools—solidly middle-of-the-pack in a competitive state where top programs like Manhattan College and Syracuse produce graduates earning $65,000 to $113,000. Your child would start at $48,111, beating both the state median ($42,268) and national average ($45,703) by meaningful margins. The $23,250 debt load sits below state and national medians, translating to a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48—roughly half a year's salary, which most financial advisors would consider reasonable.

The trajectory shows steady but unspectacular growth, with earnings reaching $52,791 by year four. That's a 10% increase, suggesting graduates are finding stable employment and modest career progression rather than breakout opportunities. For context, this puts four-year earnings near the 75th percentile nationally, though it's worth noting the significant earnings gap between Hartwick and New York's elite business programs.

The bottom line: This represents a sound investment for a student looking for a traditional business education without excessive debt, particularly if they're committed to staying in upstate New York where the cost of living makes that $48,000 starting salary stretch further. It won't open the same doors as Syracuse or Clarkson, but the reasonable debt burden means your child won't spend their twenties buried under loan payments.