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

Johnson & Wales University's online entrepreneurship program presents a stark reality check: graduates earn $30,996 their first year—about 32% below the national median for this degree. While this lands at the 60th percentile among Rhode Island's small pool of entrepreneurship programs, that's mostly because the state's options are limited. Compared to the national landscape of 322 similar programs, this ranks in the bottom 10th percentile for earnings.

The debt load of $25,500 is relatively manageable at 82% of first-year income, and there's meaningful earnings growth to $38,456 by year four (a 24% increase). However, even after four years, graduates remain well below where typical entrepreneurship majors start nationally. The gap between this program and Brown University's entrepreneurship offering ($67,900) illustrates the wide variation in outcomes even within the same state, though Brown's selectivity and prestige obviously differ dramatically.

For families considering this online program, the central question is whether the flexibility and accessibility justify earnings that lag significantly behind most entrepreneurship degrees. If your child needs the online format and plans to supplement the degree with hands-on business experience or family business involvement, the manageable debt provides runway. But if they're simply choosing entrepreneurship as a major and have other options, most programs nationally deliver substantially better early-career outcomes.