Business Administration, Management and Operations at Mount Mary University

Similar business administration programs across Wisconsin suggest first-year earnings around $52,500, which would put this program at the state median—notably ahead of the $45,700 national benchmark but well behind Wisconsin's top performers like UW-Madison ($67,700) and Marquette ($63,300). The estimated $28,000 in debt aligns closely with both state and national norms for business degrees, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54 that looks manageable on paper.

What's harder to assess is whether Mount Mary's specific program will actually hit these benchmarks. With a 58% Pell grant population and a 93% admission rate, the university serves students who may face employment barriers beyond credential quality. The fact that earnings appear flat between year one and year four (roughly $52,700 at both points) raises questions about career trajectory, though this could reflect data quirks rather than actual stagnation.

The practical calculation: if your child graduates with $28,000 in debt and earns at the state median, monthly loan payments would consume about 6-7% of gross income—workable but not comfortable. The uncertainty here matters more than usual because you're making decisions based on how peer programs perform, not on this school's track record with its own graduates. If Mount Mary's outcomes trail the state average even modestly, the value proposition weakens quickly given the stronger alternatives available in Milwaukee and statewide.