Economics at Saint Michael's College

Saint Michael's economics graduates start $4,500 below the national median at $47,211, landing in the 32nd percentile nationally—but here's the twist: among Vermont's four economics programs, that same number ranks in the 60th percentile, better than the state median. This suggests that Vermont's liberal arts colleges generally produce more modest early earnings than the national economics market, though Middlebury ($85,879) proves there are exceptions in-state.

The debt picture looks reasonable at $24,500—slightly above the national median but fairly typical for private liberal arts colleges—and the 0.52 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates can manage payments without significant strain. The 22% earnings growth by year four, reaching $57,722, tracks with normal career progression for economics majors and brings graduates closer to national benchmarks.

The major caveat is sample size: with fewer than 30 graduates in this cohort, these numbers could shift significantly with different years. That said, for families committed to Vermont and seeking a small-college environment, Saint Michael's delivers earnings that work within the state's economic context. Just understand you're paying private college tuition for solidly middle-of-the-pack economics outcomes—adequate for launching a career, but unlikely to provide the earning power that justifies significant additional debt beyond what's shown here.