Human Resources Management and Services at Meredith College

First-year earnings of $50,635 land right at the state median for HR programs—a middle-of-the-pack outcome that neither excites nor alarms. Meredith's grads appear competitive with peers across North Carolina, though they trail UNC-Chapel Hill's $52,217 by a modest margin. What matters more is whether the estimated $30,016 debt load (based on median borrowing across similar private colleges) justifies these earnings.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.59 suggests manageable repayment—roughly seven months of gross income to cover the total borrowed. That's reasonable territory for a bachelor's degree, though parents should recognize this estimate comes from national patterns, not Meredith's actual HR graduates specifically. If your daughter's actual borrowing runs higher—private loans, parent PLUS loans, or higher unsubsidized amounts—the calculation shifts unfavorably. Conversely, strong financial aid could make this program a better value than these figures suggest.

The practical question: can a $50K starting salary support loan payments while building a career in Raleigh's growing corporate market? Probably, assuming debt stays near this estimate and she secures full-time HR work quickly. Request Meredith's actual placement data for this program—where their HR grads land jobs and how many secure positions within six months. Those concrete outcomes matter more than peer-program estimates when you're writing tuition checks.