Business/Commerce at Strayer University-Maryland

Strayer's business program commands a steep premium—$32,810 in debt versus a Maryland median of just $11,294 for associate business degrees—and the earnings don't justify it. While graduates earn $44,154 in their first year (60th percentile in Maryland), that's only modestly better than Hagerstown Community College grads who earn $41,970 with likely far less debt. At community colleges across Maryland, students typically finish with under $12,000 in loans for comparable or even superior career outcomes.

The debt burden here is the real concern. At 74% of first-year earnings, students will spend years digging out from under these loans—money that won't be available for buying a home, building emergency savings, or investing. Consider that your child could attend a Maryland community college, earn essentially the same degree with similar job prospects, and graduate with a third of the debt. Even the modest 8% earnings growth over four years doesn't change this fundamental math.

For a family qualifying for Pell grants (60% of students here do), this debt level is particularly risky. Unless your child has exhausted community college options or has specific circumstances requiring Strayer's schedule flexibility, Maryland's public two-year colleges offer better value for an associate business degree. The higher sticker price doesn't translate to meaningfully better career outcomes in this field.