Urban Studies/Affairs at Ohio University-Eastern Campus

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57 suggests manageable borrowing for this program, with estimated first-year earnings of around $40,300 against roughly $23,000 in debt—figures drawn from national peer programs since this campus's graduate cohort is too small to report publicly. That's notably better than Ohio's state median debt for urban studies, which runs over $32,000, though the earnings track closely with what Cleveland State University reports for its graduates in this field. For a regional campus serving eastern Ohio, these estimates point to a degree that won't saddle students with crushing payments while they establish their careers in planning, community development, or municipal government.

The challenge is understanding what "estimated from peer programs" truly means for your child's prospects at this specific campus. Urban studies programs vary enormously in their connections to local government agencies, nonprofit networks, and urban planning offices—relationships that directly affect job placement. A program at Ohio University-Eastern may have very different outcomes than the national pool it's being compared against, particularly given the rural character of the Saint Clairsville area versus the urban settings where most urban studies graduates find work. The unusually low Pell enrollment (9%) also raises questions about the student body this campus serves and whether the program has proven staying power.

Before committing, insist on talking to recent graduates about where they landed jobs and what support the program provided. The estimated numbers suggest reasonable value, but you need actual placement data to know if this particular campus delivers on that promise.