Human Resources Management and Services at Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Similar HR programs in Ohio typically produce first-year earnings around $45,000, but with an estimated $35,000 in debt, Mount Vernon Nazarene's graduates would be carrying significantly more than the state median of $25,000 for this degree. That extra $10,000 in borrowing matters when you're starting at earnings that already trail the national median for HR degrees by about $5,000. The 0.77 debt-to-earnings ratio falls within manageable territory, but there's little cushion here for financial surprises.

What's particularly striking is the range among Ohio's HR programs. While Walsh grads earn over $80,000 and Ohio State grads clear nearly $59,000 in their first year, comparable programs to Mount Vernon cluster around that $45,000-$50,000 mark. The debt differential becomes the critical variable—every thousand dollars in additional loans translates to real monthly payments when earnings remain relatively flat across mid-tier programs.

For families considering this program, the key question is whether Mount Vernon's specific offerings justify borrowing 40% more than typical Ohio HR students. Without actual outcome data from this program, you're essentially betting that it performs in line with state peers on earnings while accepting above-average debt. If your student can access this program with grants that bring borrowing closer to that $25,000 benchmark—or if they're comparing against even more expensive private options—it could work. But at full debt load, programs like Akron or Bluffton appear to deliver better value propositions in Ohio's HR market.