Finance and Financial Management Services at Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee State's finance program tells two very different stories depending on your frame of reference. While it lands in just the 17th percentile nationally—meaning 83% of finance programs produce higher earners—it sits comfortably above the median among Tennessee schools at the 60th percentile. For families weighing in-state tuition costs, that state-level performance matters more than the national comparison. Graduates earn $46,505 in their first year and $51,478 by year four, trailing UT-Knoxville by about $2,300 initially but outperforming several other public options like Tennessee Tech and Memphis.

The debt picture is reasonable: $22,700 sits slightly below both state and national medians, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.5. This means graduates owe less than half their first-year salary, a threshold generally considered sustainable. The 11% earnings growth over four years suggests stable career progression, though the relatively modest starting salary means even after growth, graduates remain well below the national finance median of $53,590.

For Tennessee families keeping their student in-state, this program delivers middle-of-the-pack value with affordable debt. The gap to UT-Knoxville is noticeable but not insurmountable, and MTSU avoids the lower earnings seen at some sister institutions. Just understand that Tennessee's finance market overall runs cooler than national standards—graduates here start about $7,000 below the typical finance grad nationwide.