Business Administration, Management and Operations at Nelson University

Nelson University's business management program starts graduates at $35,482—about $10,000 below the Texas state median and nearly $20,000 below the national average. While the program ranks in the bottom 5th percentile nationally, its 25th percentile standing among Texas programs suggests the state's business degrees generally underperform national benchmarks. Still, this is a below-average outcome even within Texas, where the median business graduate earns $44,084.

The modest $27,000 debt load represents the program's strongest feature, sitting near national norms and only slightly above the Texas median. Combined with solid 25% earnings growth over four years, graduates see their income rise to $44,446—approaching state-level medians. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76 is manageable, though it takes time to reach competitive salary levels.

For families considering this program, understand that your graduate will likely start significantly behind peers from Texas's stronger business schools (UT Austin grads average $66,289, for example). The affordable debt keeps this from being a financial disaster, but the earning gap persists even after four years. If your student has options at Texas A&M, UT Dallas, or other mid-tier public universities with stronger business outcomes, those would offer better return on investment. This works best as a backup option when combined with scholarships that further reduce the debt burden.