Human Resources Management and Services at Maryville College

A bachelor's in Human Resources from a small Tennessee college comes with significant unknowns. Based on comparable HR programs nationally, first-year earnings around $50,361 would be respectable—actually exceeding what similar programs in Tennessee typically produce ($44,224). However, the estimated $30,016 in debt runs higher than both state and national benchmarks for this major, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.6 that's manageable but not comfortable.

The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimates derived from peer programs elsewhere, since Maryville College's graduate cohort is too small for the Department of Education to report. You're essentially betting that this specific program will perform like the national average, despite Tennessee's HR programs generally producing lower starting salaries. The state's flagship, UT-Knoxville, reports actual outcomes near $50,000, while Lipscomb—another private Tennessee school—sees graduates starting around $38,500.

For a family weighing this investment, the uncertainty matters as much as the numbers themselves. If outcomes track closer to other Tennessee programs rather than the national average used for estimation, that $30,000 debt burden becomes heavier. Without actual graduate outcomes to evaluate, you're trusting that Maryville's smaller environment and individual attention translate to job placement that justifies both the higher debt and the premium over in-state public options.