Business Administration, Management and Operations at Sul Ross State University

Sul Ross graduates leave with impressively low debt—just $16,781, ranking in the 95th percentile nationally—but their first-year earnings of $39,828 trail both the Texas median ($44,084) and national average by significant margins. This is a program serving a predominantly first-generation, economically disadvantaged student body (52% on Pell grants) in remote West Texas, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42 reflects genuine affordability, even if the absolute earnings figures appear modest.

The 40th percentile ranking among Texas business programs tells a more nuanced story than the 23rd percentile national ranking. While graduates earn roughly $26,000 less than peers at UT Austin or TCU, they're also carrying $7,000-$10,000 less debt than typical Texas business majors. For students who might otherwise skip college entirely or take on crushing debt at a more expensive school, this represents a viable pathway to a business degree without financial catastrophe.

The real question is opportunity cost: are there comparable programs in Texas that deliver both higher earnings and manageable debt? If your child has options at other regional universities, compare carefully. But for students specifically drawn to Sul Ross—whether for location, admission accessibility, or cost—this program won't saddle them with unmanageable debt, even if it won't launch them into high-paying corporate careers right away.