Business Administration, Management and Operations at Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies

Indiana Tech's Business Management associate's program puts graduates $10,000 ahead of the typical national graduate in this field—an impressive 89th percentile nationally. That's a meaningful earnings advantage. However, students here carry $34,791 in debt, more than double what most Indiana students borrow for similar programs (state median: $15,306). At 60th percentile within Indiana, the program sits in the middle of the state pack despite ranking near the top of tuition costs.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81 means graduates face less than a year's salary in debt, which is manageable territory. But here's the rub: Purdue Global's similar program delivers $51,000 in first-year earnings, and Ivy Tech—a community college—gets graduates to $39,000 with presumably much lower debt loads. Meanwhile, earnings here grow just 3% over four years, suggesting the premium you're paying doesn't translate into stronger career trajectory.

For families comfortable with higher debt in exchange for above-average starting salaries, this works. But if cost is a concern—and with 53% of students on Pell grants, it clearly is for many—the value proposition gets murky. Your child could graduate from a less expensive Indiana program, carry far less debt, and still land in similar or better financial position within a few years.