Construction Management at Mississippi State University

Mississippi State's Construction Management program gets students into solid-paying jobs right away—$72,712 matches the national median precisely—but the real story here is the debt picture. At $30,500, graduates carry more debt than 95% of construction management programs nationally, where the typical debt is just $24,750. That's nearly $6,000 more than peers at other schools are borrowing for essentially the same starting salary.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42 means graduates owe about five months' salary, which remains manageable but less favorable than many construction management programs achieve. As the only program of its kind in Mississippi, there's no in-state comparison to make, though the earnings do place it slightly above the national median. The bigger question is whether attending Mississippi State is necessary when out-of-state alternatives might offer similar outcomes with significantly less borrowing.

One major caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances could swing these numbers considerably. For families confident their student can secure scholarships or grants to reduce that debt load, the program delivers decent value. Without financial aid, though, you're paying a premium over what construction management typically costs elsewhere.