Business Administration, Management and Operations at Herzing University-New Orleans

Herzing University-New Orleans charges nearly $39,000 for an associate degree that leads to $30,500 in first-year earnings—a debt load that exceeds what graduates earn in their first year out. That's the fundamental challenge here. While the program performs better than most Louisiana business programs (60th percentile statewide), it drastically underperforms the national median by about $3,500 annually. The debt burden is particularly striking: Herzing graduates carry triple the debt of typical business associate degree holders nationwide, placing this program in just the 5th percentile for debt—meaning 95% of similar programs saddle students with less debt.

The earnings trajectory does improve, reaching $37,300 by year four, which represents solid 22% growth. But even with that increase, graduates are still managing debt that exceeded their starting salary. Compare this to Delgado Community College, where students in the same program earn similar amounts but presumably with community college pricing—a significantly different value equation.

For a family considering this program, the core question is whether the open admission and flexible scheduling justify the premium cost. With 72% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here are taking on substantial debt for below-average earnings outcomes. Unless your child has specific constraints that rule out lower-cost alternatives like Delgado, the debt-to-earnings math here is hard to justify.