Business/Managerial Economics at Kent State University at Kent

Kent State's Business/Managerial Economics program trails most Ohio competitors by a meaningful margin—roughly $9,000 below the state median of $60,236. Among Ohio's 19 programs in this field, it sits near the 40th percentile, lagging behind flagship schools like Ohio State ($62,000) and Miami University ($60,600). National comparisons are slightly more forgiving, but graduates still earn about $1,600 less than the typical program nationally. The one clear advantage here is debt: at $25,000, it's lower than both state and national averages, translating to a manageable 0.48 debt-to-earnings ratio.

The bigger concern is stagnation. Earnings essentially flatline between year one and year four, suggesting limited career progression in those early years when momentum typically builds. While the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures could shift with more data, the pattern is consistent enough to warrant attention.

If your child is choosing between Kent State and other Ohio public universities for business economics, understand they're likely accepting lower starting pay in exchange for slightly less debt. That tradeoff might work for a student planning graduate school or entering a family business, but it's less compelling if they need earnings growth to justify the investment. Consider whether the $9,000 annual earnings gap persists long enough to outweigh the modest debt savings.