Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations at Hilbert College

Is a bachelor's in entrepreneurship worth $25,000 in debt when similar programs in New York point to first-year earnings around $38,000? That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 looks manageable on paper—roughly two-thirds of a year's salary—but the bigger concern is how far those estimated earnings fall below the national benchmark of $45,265. Programs elsewhere typically produce 20% higher starting salaries, suggesting New York's entrepreneurship job market may be particularly challenging or that graduates are launching their own ventures rather than taking salaried positions.

The estimated debt figure of $25,396 sits slightly above both the state median and national median for entrepreneurship programs, which isn't ideal when the earnings appear to lag. For context, Hilbert serves a largely accessible student population (98% admission rate, 44% on Pell grants), and graduates appear headed toward earnings similar to those from Clarkson University but well below Syracuse's $55,000 starting point. The wide variation among New York programs—from $24,000 to $55,000—suggests outcomes depend heavily on individual networks, business ideas, and execution rather than the degree itself.

Without actual data from Hilbert's own graduates, parents should recognize they're betting on an uncertain outcome in a field where the credential matters less than hustle and opportunity. If your child has a viable business concept and needs the structure to develop it, this might work. If they're counting on landing a corporate job with "entrepreneur" on their resume, peer program data suggests they'll start lower than many business majors while carrying similar debt.