Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations at Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte

Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte's entrepreneurship program graduates earn $30,996 in their first year—roughly $16,000 less than the typical North Carolina graduate in this field and $14,000 below the national median. This places the program at the bottom 10th percentile both statewide and nationally, meaning nine out of ten comparable programs produce better-earning graduates. For context, Elon University's entrepreneurship graduates in North Carolina start at $62,626, more than double what JWU-Charlotte delivers.

The 24% earnings growth to $38,456 by year four offers some recovery, but still leaves graduates well below where most entrepreneurship programs start their alumni. The $25,500 debt load is close to national norms, which means the real problem isn't excessive borrowing—it's that the earnings simply don't justify a four-year degree investment. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82, graduates are carrying nearly a full year's salary in student loans, making financial independence after graduation difficult.

For families considering this program, the numbers suggest other paths to entrepreneurship—whether a stronger business program elsewhere, community college followed by transfer, or going directly into small business work—would likely serve better. When a program ranks in the bottom tenth among its peers, that's not a minor difference worth overlooking for other factors; it's a fundamental value gap.