Marketing at Strayer University-Virginia

Is an associate's degree in marketing from an online university worth taking on significant debt? The numbers suggest caution. Based on peer institutions offering similar programs, graduates would carry an estimated $27,167 in debt—about $8,000 more than the national median for marketing associate's degrees. That's a meaningful gap when you're looking at first-year earnings around $42,000, which matches national expectations but translates to over seven months of gross income devoted to debt.

The challenge here extends beyond the numbers themselves. With 55% of students receiving Pell grants, many families are already stretched financially, making that higher-than-typical debt load particularly concerning. Marketing associate's programs nationally show a tight earnings range—the top quarter barely outperforms the median—suggesting limited upside even if this program exceeded expectations. And because both the earnings and debt figures are estimated from peer programs rather than actual outcomes from Strayer's Virginia campus, you're making decisions with considerable uncertainty.

Unless your child has a compelling reason to pursue this specific program—perhaps existing credits that transfer in, reducing both time and cost—the debt projection should prompt a hard look at alternatives. Community colleges in Virginia offering marketing programs would likely deliver comparable career preparation at a fraction of the cost, giving graduates far more financial breathing room as they start their careers.