General Sales, Merchandising at Stetson University

Stetson's sales and merchandising bachelor's costs an estimated $24,810 in debt—roughly on par with what similar programs nationally charge—for credentials that peer programs suggest lead to around $53,000 in first-year earnings. That's a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46, meaning graduates would owe less than half their expected first-year salary. For context, the national median for this degree is $53,448, so Stetson appears aligned with typical market outcomes, though these estimates are drawn from a small pool of comparable programs nationwide rather than Stetson's own graduate data.

What makes this harder to assess is Florida's thin landscape for this major—only two schools in the state offer it, and neither has reported graduate outcomes. That leaves you relying entirely on national patterns to gauge value. The program sits at a selective-access private university (86% admission rate, 1208 average SAT), which suggests reasonable academic standards but not the kind of institutional prestige that typically commands premium pricing. With 35% of students on Pell grants, Stetson serves a mixed economic base, though the estimated debt load remains manageable relative to expected earnings.

If your child is genuinely interested in sales and merchandising, the numbers suggest this won't be a financial trap—graduates from similar programs typically earn enough to handle the debt within a reasonable timeframe. But given the absence of school-specific data and limited in-state alternatives, you're betting on Stetson's version of this degree performing like the national average.