Business Administration, Management and Operations at Sullivan University

Sullivan's business certificate program carries an estimated debt load of about $13,000—slightly below both state and national benchmarks—but the earnings picture based on similar Kentucky programs suggests this credential may struggle to justify even that modest investment. With first-year earnings around $35,400, graduates would face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37, meaning roughly 37% of their first year's income would be needed to pay off loans—a manageable number on paper, but one that assumes these earnings materialize as expected.

The challenge is that comparable programs in Kentucky show this is a highly competitive space with significant variation in outcomes. Top-performing community college certificates in the state produce graduates earning $40,000 to $41,000—roughly $5,000 to $6,000 more than what peer programs suggest for Sullivan. That gap represents nearly two months of additional income annually, which compounds over time. Meanwhile, Sullivan's low Pell grant percentage (just 11% of students) suggests this program may primarily serve students with existing resources rather than those seeking economic mobility through education.

For a parent considering this investment, the key question is whether Sullivan's specific program offers advantages that justify choosing it over Kentucky's community college alternatives, which appear to produce stronger early earnings at similar or lower cost. Without actual outcome data for Sullivan's graduates, you're essentially betting on the program outperforming its peers—a gamble that the available evidence doesn't clearly support.