Hospitality Administration/Management at Rutgers University-Camden

Hospitality programs in New Jersey typically produce first-year earnings around $38,330, which puts this program right at the state median—though that figure comes from just three schools with reported data, making it a limited benchmark. The estimated $23,280 in debt sits slightly below both state and national averages for bachelor's-level hospitality programs, which is encouraging. That 0.61 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests graduates would dedicate about 61% of their first year's salary to debt if paying it off immediately, or roughly 7-8 years on a standard repayment plan. For context, hospitality management tends to be a modest earner nationally, with the national median sitting at just under $35,000.

The challenge here is that we're working with very sparse data—New Jersey only has six schools offering this program, and just half report earnings outcomes. Without knowing Rutgers-Camden's specific graduate outcomes, it's hard to assess whether the school's hospitality management curriculum and industry connections justify choosing it over state alternatives like Stockton (which reports lower first-year earnings) or the Fairleigh Dickinson campuses (which match the state median). The Camden location itself might offer different hospitality industry access compared to other New Jersey markets.

For families considering this path, the key question is whether your child has clear hospitality career goals and understands the salary trajectory. The estimated numbers suggest a manageable but not insignificant debt load relative to early earnings. Before committing, reach out to Rutgers-Camden's career services to understand actual placement rates and which employers recruit their hospitality graduates.