Finance and Financial Management Services at The College of Saint Scholastica

How concerned should you be about the small sample size? In this case, pretty concerned—with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a few unusual outcomes could skew the entire picture. That caveat matters here because the numbers themselves look reasonable: $52,677 in starting salary against $23,000 in debt creates a manageable situation for new graduates.

What's more telling is the competitive landscape. Saint Scholastica's finance program sits squarely in the middle of Minnesota's offerings—ahead of the state median but trailing the University of Minnesota by $16,000 and even smaller private schools like Augsburg by $11,000. That 60th percentile state ranking suggests this program delivers adequate but not exceptional preparation for Minnesota's finance job market. The debt level is actually slightly below both state and national averages, which helps offset the middling earnings.

The real question is whether this program justifies attendance over stronger alternatives. If your child is drawn to Saint Scholastica's small-school environment in Duluth and the 94% admission rate makes it accessible, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 won't create a financial crisis. But if they can access the Twin Cities schools that produce significantly higher earners, the gap in outcomes is substantial enough to warrant serious consideration—we're talking about $13,000+ differences in starting salary that compound over a career.