Economics at Keene State College

Similar economics programs in New Hampshire suggest first-year earnings around $69,807—well above the national median of $51,722 for economics degrees. But here's the puzzle: by year four, reported earnings for this specific program drop to $54,126. That's a significant dip rather than the growth trajectory you'd typically expect from an economics degree, and it suggests graduates may be taking career paths that don't fully leverage their quantitative training.

The estimated debt of $21,650 keeps this financially manageable, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31 based on that first-year figure. That's reasonable by any measure. However, the year-four earnings tell a different story about actual trajectory. If that $54,126 reflects where graduates actually land mid-career rather than just a temporary dip, you're looking at earnings that trail behind New Hampshire peers like UNH ($54,328 by year one) and fall well short of what Dartmouth economics grads command ($94,675).

The takeaway: the debt won't crush your child, but the earnings pattern raises questions about outcomes that the limited data can't fully answer. Before committing, try to understand why earnings might decline after year one—are graduates pursuing graduate school, nonprofit work, or simply struggling to find economics-specific positions? The answer matters more than the estimated numbers themselves.