Business/Commerce at South Louisiana Community College

South Louisiana Community College's Business/Commerce associate's degree graduates earn just $25,179 in their first year—about $7,000 below the Louisiana median and more than $11,000 below the national average for this program. While the debt load of $13,446 sits right at national norms, earning 31% less than typical Louisiana graduates in the same field creates a difficult financial equation. Even among Louisiana's community colleges, this program trails significantly: Delgado graduates earn nearly 50% more, and even the state median sits $7,300 higher.

The program does serve a meaningful population, with 48% of students receiving Pell grants, but affordability alone doesn't justify attending if career outcomes lag this far behind alternatives. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.53 means graduates face more than half a year's income in student loans—manageable in absolute terms, but concerning when that income is $25,000. For context, this program ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally and 25th percentile statewide for earnings.

If your child is set on business and community college in Louisiana, the data strongly suggests looking elsewhere. Delgado and Fletcher Technical both offer substantially better outcomes with comparable or only slightly higher debt. Unless there are compelling personal reasons to attend South Louisiana specifically—like needing to stay local—this program appears to underperform its peers by a margin too large to ignore.