Finance and Financial Management Services at Lee University

A bachelor's in finance from Lee University comes with an estimated $25,812 in debt—higher than the typical Tennessee finance graduate borrows ($20,500)—while earnings projections based on similar Tennessee programs cluster around $45,325. That's notably below what graduates from UT-Knoxville ($53,826) or even Austin Peay ($48,264) typically earn in their first year. The 0.57 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests manageable repayment, but you're likely paying more to earn less compared to graduates from the state's flagship or larger public universities.

The gap to national finance program outcomes is even wider—peer programs nationally produce a median first-year salary of $53,590, about $8,000 more than Tennessee finance graduates typically see. Whether Lee's smaller environment and faith-based mission justify this premium depends entirely on fit, but the numbers alone don't make a compelling case. Tennessee offers multiple lower-cost public options with stronger graduate earnings, and in a field like finance where your first job often matters tremendously for career trajectory, starting $5,000-$8,000 behind peers could compound over time.

If your child is drawn to Lee specifically for campus culture or Christian community, this program won't bury them in debt. But if the decision is purely financial, Tennessee's public universities offer better bang for the buck in this major.