Business Administration, Management and Operations at Milligan University

Milligan's business program graduates earn about $40,000 in their first year—roughly $3,000 below the Tennessee median and $6,000 below the national average. While the debt load of $27,000 is manageable in absolute terms (slightly above state and national medians), the combination puts graduates at the 23rd percentile nationally for earnings. That means three-quarters of business programs nationwide produce better-paid graduates. Even within Tennessee, where Milligan ranks at the 40th percentile, you'll find programs like UT-Knoxville and Tennessee Wesleyan where graduates earn nearly 50% more in their first year.

The small sample size here matters—with fewer than 30 recent graduates in the dataset, these numbers might not reflect the typical experience. Still, the pattern is concerning enough to warrant comparison shopping. A $27,000 debt against $40,000 earnings isn't catastrophic, but it creates tighter financial margins than many competing programs in the state.

If your child is set on Milligan for fit or faith-based reasons, this program won't derail their finances. But purely as an earnings investment, Tennessee offers stronger business programs at similar or lower debt levels. Look closely at what else Milligan provides—campus culture, smaller classes, career services—because the degree itself isn't delivering premium earning power.