Business Administration, Management and Operations at Ottawa University-Milwaukee

Ottawa University-Milwaukee's business program lands graduates just below Wisconsin's median—at around $52,000, they trail the state average by roughly $500 while sitting comfortably above the national benchmark. The 71st percentile nationally sounds impressive until you realize that among Wisconsin business programs, this ranks only at the 40th percentile. In a state where UW-Madison graduates start at $68,000 and even regional universities like UW-Oshkosh clear $58,000, Ottawa-Milwaukee's positioning is decidedly middle-tier.

The $27,000 debt load is reasonable and matches both state and national medians, yielding a manageable 0.52 debt-to-earnings ratio. The real limitation here is stagnant growth—earnings essentially flatline from year one to year four, suggesting graduates may be entering roles with limited advancement potential. Nearly half the student body receives Pell grants, indicating the university serves a population where that initial $52,000 salary represents meaningful economic mobility, even if it doesn't match Wisconsin's top-performing programs.

For families who can access Wisconsin's public universities or Milwaukee School of Engineering, those options deliver substantially higher starting salaries. But if Ottawa-Milwaukee offers unique scheduling flexibility, transfer credit acceptance, or location convenience that makes degree completion viable when other schools don't, the earnings are workable—just understand you're paying for accessibility rather than peak outcomes.