Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods at Mid-America Christian University

Mid-America Christian University's Management Sciences program shows a puzzling split: it ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally but the 60th percentile among Oklahoma programs. The explanation? Oklahoma's five programs for this major cluster at the bottom of national rankings, with even the state's best barely cracking $45,000 in starting salary—roughly $17,000 below the national median of $62,069. If your student is comparing Oklahoma options, MACU performs competitively. If they're comparing against out-of-state programs, the gap is substantial.

The debt picture amplifies this concern. At $38,496, graduates carry significantly more debt than both state and national peers, while earning less than most. The 0.85 debt-to-earnings ratio means nearly a year's salary goes toward educational debt—manageable but tight for a starting income of $45,047. The 34% earnings growth to $60,443 by year four provides some relief, though this still trails the national median starting salary.

Given the small sample size (under 30 graduates tracked), these numbers could shift meaningfully with more data. For families committed to staying in Oklahoma and prioritizing a Christian educational environment, MACU delivers comparable outcomes to state alternatives. But for students willing to attend programs elsewhere, they'll likely find substantially better earning potential with similar or lower debt loads. The trade-off here is primarily about values alignment versus financial optimization.