Economics at Hiram College

Economics graduates from similar Ohio programs typically earn around $51,500 in their first year—squarely in line with both state and national medians for bachelor's-level economists. At an estimated $25,000 in debt, this program mirrors the borrowing patterns of comparable Ohio private colleges, translating to a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of roughly half a first-year salary.

What's missing here is crucial context. The earnings figure comes from a composite of 18 Ohio economics programs, which range from University of Cincinnati grads earning $58,600 to programs producing considerably less. Without knowing where Hiram's actual outcomes fall within this spectrum, you're essentially betting on the middle of the pack. Given that stronger Ohio programs like John Carroll and Oberlin produce first-year earnings $10,000-$14,000 higher, the difference between "typical" and "top-performing" is significant over a career.

The debt load seems reasonable assuming employment materializes near that $51,500 mark, but Hiram's 93% acceptance rate and limited graduate cohort size (hence the suppressed data) suggest this isn't a program with established recruiting pipelines or extensive alumni networks in economics. If your student is serious about economics, visiting campus to understand job placement support and hearing from recent graduates directly would help determine whether Hiram can deliver outcomes closer to the state average or risks falling below it.