Business/Commerce at Mount St. Mary's University

Mount St. Mary's business graduates start behind their Maryland peers—earning roughly $50,000 versus the state median of $50,514—but they experience solid 38% earnings growth by year four, reaching nearly $65,000. This puts them squarely in the middle nationally but below average for Maryland, where they rank in the 40th percentile among seven schools offering this program.

The debt picture is more troubling. At $21,500, graduates carry less than both national and state medians, but that's because Mount St. Mary's ranks in the 80th percentile for debt nationally—meaning 80% of comparable programs nationwide saddle students with less debt. The first-year debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46 is manageable but not impressive given the lower starting salary.

For Maryland families, this program delivers middling returns. You're paying private school tuition (despite the 72% admission rate suggesting modest selectivity) for outcomes that trail public options like University of Baltimore, where graduates earn $52,329 right out of the gate. The strong earnings trajectory helps close that gap by year four, but unless Mount St. Mary's offers significant financial aid or your child values the smaller campus environment, better-performing Maryland programs exist at potentially lower cost.