Business/Commerce at Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee State's business program sits exactly at Tennessee's median for earnings ($40,100), meaning half the state's business programs perform worse. That's the good news. The difficult part is that this puts graduates nearly $7,500 behind the national median for business majors, landing in just the 17th percentile nationally. For a state where business degrees typically underperform the national average anyway, that context matters—this isn't MTSU falling short, it's more about Tennessee's overall business graduate market. The debt load of $24,450 is actually better than both state and national averages, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61 that's reasonable if not impressive.

The real question is whether staying in Tennessee makes financial sense for business graduates. The state's top programs (Christian Brothers at $57,670, Strayer at $55,431) show substantially higher outcomes are possible, though those come with different cost structures and admission profiles. Meanwhile, other public options like Austin Peay produce even lower earnings at $35,699. For families committed to Tennessee and seeking affordable tuition at a mid-sized public university, MTSU delivers middle-of-the-pack results with manageable debt. But students with mobility and stronger academic credentials should consider whether out-of-state business programs might justify the investment—the national median of $47,500 represents nearly $90,000 more over a decade.