Finance and Financial Management Services at South College

A debt load of $31,000—considerably higher than what Tennessee finance graduates typically carry—combined with first-year earnings around $45,000 creates a challenging starting point. While peer programs in Tennessee produce similar earnings (and you'll notice this matches the state median exactly), finance students at UT-Knoxville are earning nearly $9,000 more annually with less debt. That difference compounds significantly over a career. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 isn't catastrophic, but it's substantially above the national median debt of $23,332 for finance bachelor's programs.

What makes this particularly worth scrutinizing is South College's high proportion of Pell-eligible students—50% of undergrads rely on these need-based grants. For families already facing financial constraints, beginning a finance career with above-average debt while earning at the state median rather than above it means less margin for error. The national median for finance bachelor's graduates is $53,590, suggesting students at comparable programs elsewhere are starting $8,000 ahead annually.

If your child is committed to South College specifically, understand they'll likely need to be strategic about internships and networking to position themselves competitively for higher-paying opportunities. Otherwise, Tennessee's public universities are producing similar or better early earnings with considerably lower debt burdens—a combination that gives graduates more financial flexibility as they launch their careers.