Business Administration, Management and Operations at Massachusetts Bay Community College

Massachusetts Bay Community College graduates this program with remarkably low debt—just $7,394, which ranks in the 95th percentile nationally and sits well below both the state median ($10,338) and national median ($13,980). That's the good news. The challenging part is that first-year earnings of $32,202 trail both the Massachusetts median ($37,350) and place this program in the 40th percentile statewide, meaning roughly 60% of comparable Massachusetts community college programs show stronger initial outcomes.

The earnings trajectory offers some redemption: graduates see 43% growth by year four, reaching $46,081. This catches them up to and surpasses several peer institutions' initial outcomes. However, stronger programs like Northern Essex and Mount Wachusett show first-year earnings in the mid-$40,000s, suggesting their graduates access better entry-level positions from the start. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty to these figures—a few outliers could significantly skew the numbers in either direction.

For families prioritizing minimal debt, this program delivers, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.23 making repayment manageable even at lower starting salaries. But if your child needs strong immediate earning power—perhaps to support themselves independently—you might explore why this program's graduates start $5,000-$14,000 behind peers at other Massachusetts community colleges. Understanding whether that gap reflects employer connections, curriculum differences, or simply data noise matters before committing.