Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations at Meredith College

With only a handful of graduates reporting, Meredith's marketing program shows numbers that beat both national and North Carolina medians—but the small sample size means one exceptional graduate could be skewing the picture either way. The first-year salary of $37,787 edges above the $35,806 national median and substantially outpaces the $32,478 state median. More encouraging is the 22% earnings growth by year four, reaching $46,037, suggesting graduates aren't hitting an immediate ceiling. The $26,000 debt load sits right at national norms and creates a manageable 0.69 debt-to-earnings ratio.

The catch is that "specialized marketing operations" is already a niche program with just 102 schools nationwide offering it, and only four in North Carolina. This limited data makes it tough to draw firm conclusions about long-term prospects. What we do know: Meredith's admits three-quarters of applicants and serves a substantial number of students from lower-income backgrounds, yet its graduates in this program appear to launch careers that pay slightly better than typical alternatives in the state.

For parents comfortable with some uncertainty in the numbers, this looks like a reasonable investment—debt stays moderate while earnings track above state averages. Just recognize you're making this decision with limited visibility into whether these outcomes are consistent year over year.