Human Resources Management and Services at Texas A&M University-Central Texas

Texas A&M-Central Texas serves a predominantly working-class student body in the Killeen area—nearly half receive Pell grants—but its HR program leaves graduates earning $41,378 in their first year, roughly $7,000 below the Texas median and $9,000 below the national average. While this places the program at the 40th percentile within Texas (middle of the pack for the state), it ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally. The nearly $31,000 in debt creates a 0.75 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates carry debt equal to three-quarters of their first-year salary—manageable by technical standards, but the absolute earnings level makes this burdensome in practice.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year, so they shouldn't be taken as definitive. However, the gap between this program and top Texas performers is stark: Baylor and UT-San Antonio HR graduates earn $20,000+ more annually, which compounds dramatically over a career. For a family making a serious financial investment, the combination of below-average earnings and above-average debt (compared to Texas schools) suggests this program may not deliver the return they're expecting. If HR management is the goal, other Texas public universities offer stronger placement outcomes at similar or lower debt levels.