Business/Managerial Economics at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

LSU's Business/Managerial Economics program lands squarely in the middle for Louisiana but trails significantly behind national standards. With first-year earnings of $42,491, graduates here earn about $11,000 less than the national median for this degree—placing them in just the 13th percentile nationally. The 60th percentile ranking within Louisiana tells you more about the state's business economics landscape than the program's strength: this is the top earner among eight in-state options, but Louisiana schools collectively underperform the national market for this major.

The debt picture is reasonable at $22,374, creating a manageable 0.53 debt-to-earnings ratio. Graduates would need roughly half their first-year salary to cover their loans—not ideal, but workable. The real concern is whether the career trajectory justifies attending. For families considering this program, the question becomes whether LSU's broader opportunities and network offset the earnings gap, or whether a stronger business economics program elsewhere (even at higher upfront cost) delivers better long-term returns.

The caveat matters here: with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers could swing substantially year to year. If your student is genuinely drawn to managerial economics specifically, understand you're accepting below-average starting earnings compared to peers nationwide, even if this represents Louisiana's best option in the field.