Business, Management, Marketing, at Southern Adventist University

The debt-to-earnings picture here looks manageable on paper—comparable business programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $51,000 against estimated debt of $26,500. That 0.52 ratio sits comfortably in "reasonable investment" territory for a bachelor's degree. However, the fact that Southern Adventist's outcomes can't be reported publicly because too few graduates participate in the survey means parents are flying blind on what this specific program actually delivers. You're banking on the national average holding true for a selective religious institution in Collegedale.

Business degrees are everywhere, and at this price point—assuming the debt estimate reflects full borrowing needs—the program needs to differentiate itself through networking, internship pipelines, or regional employer relationships that the data simply can't capture. The school's 67% admission rate and modest test scores suggest a less competitive peer group than you'd find at flagship state schools, which could matter for recruiting outcomes. Tennessee has five business programs at this level, though none have public data either, making direct state comparisons impossible.

The practical challenge: you're weighing an estimated $26,500 debt load against what peers typically earn, not what Southern Adventist graduates actually command in the job market. If your family values the Adventist mission and community enough to offset that uncertainty, the financial framework appears sound. Otherwise, you'd want concrete placement data from the school itself before committing.