Business/Commerce at Idaho State University

Borrowed debt for this associate's degree appears manageable, with estimates suggesting around $11,000—less than the national median and in line with what the one Idaho school with reported data shows for business programs. That debt load against estimated first-year earnings of roughly $36,600 yields a reasonable 0.30 ratio, meaning graduates would owe about four months' worth of their first-year salary. For a two-year credential, that's a digestible burden.

The catch is uncertainty. Idaho State's business program is too small for the Department of Education to publish actual outcomes, so these figures draw from national patterns across similar programs. The single Idaho comparator—College of Western Idaho—reports earnings around $31,500, which runs about $5,000 below what national peer programs suggest. Whether Idaho State's graduates land closer to that state figure or the national estimate matters significantly when you're calculating monthly loan payments against entry-level paychecks.

For parents weighing this investment, the fundamentals look sound: modest debt, a versatile credential, and earnings estimates that allow graduates to service loans without financial strain. But call the admissions office and ask pointed questions about where recent graduates actually landed jobs and what they're earning. With no published data for this specific program, you need real graduate outcomes—not statistical proxies—to know if this two-year degree delivers on its promise in southeastern Idaho's job market.