Economics at Loyola University New Orleans

Louisiana's economics programs typically start graduates around $46,000, which makes the $52,000 national estimate for this program look promising—though it's worth noting these aren't reported outcomes from Loyola's own graduates. With estimated debt of $24,000, you're looking at roughly half a year's salary to repay, which falls within a manageable range by most financial aid standards.

The challenge is that this estimate comes from national peer programs, not Loyola's specific track record placing economics majors in the New Orleans market. Tulane, the only Louisiana economics program with reported data, shows graduates earning $46,000—about 11% less than the national benchmark used here. That gap could reflect the realities of the local job market versus what economics majors earn nationally. If Loyola's outcomes track closer to the Louisiana average than the national one, the debt-to-earnings picture gets tighter.

For a private university charging private-school debt loads, you'd want to see evidence that Loyola's career services, alumni network, or employer connections can actually deliver earnings closer to that $52,000 national figure. Without reported data for this specific program, you're essentially betting that Loyola's economics graduates will outperform the state average despite the limited transparency on their actual outcomes.