Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods at Lewis-Clark State College

With estimated debt around $22,800 and first-year earnings near the national median for Management Sciences programs, this appears financially manageable—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37 means graduates would owe roughly five months of their first year's salary. However, the unusual earnings trajectory here deserves scrutiny: while peer programs nationally suggest starting salaries around $62,000, this specific program shows median earnings dropping to $53,700 by the fourth year. That backward slide is uncommon for quantitative business degrees and raises questions about whether graduates are finding roles that fully utilize their analytical training, or whether local job markets in north-central Idaho limit advancement opportunities.

Idaho has only two schools offering this major, so families should recognize they're working with estimates drawn from 118 similar programs nationwide rather than verified outcomes from Lewis-Clark State specifically. The debt estimate comes from comparable institutions, and the divergence between estimated first-year and actual fourth-year earnings makes it difficult to project the true return on investment. For a family weighing this program, the critical unknown is whether those four-year earnings reflect a temporary dip or a ceiling—and whether relocating after graduation might be necessary to reach the higher salaries that quantitative skills typically command in larger markets.