Business Administration, Management and Operations at The University of Findlay

The estimated $26,289 debt load for this associate's degree stands out immediately—it's nearly double what's typical for business management programs in Ohio. While similar programs in the state suggest first-year earnings around $37,000, which is solid for an associate's degree, that debt figure means you're looking at a payback burden roughly 70% of first-year income. Compare that to Ohio's median debt for this program of just $16,000, and you begin to see why this warrants scrutiny. Community colleges across the state are producing business graduates who earn similar or better salaries with dramatically less debt—Sinclair and Cincinnati State grads, for instance, command salaries in the mid-$40,000s.

The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimates based on comparable programs since the actual graduate cohort was too small to report. What we can say definitively is that private universities typically carry higher price tags than community colleges for similar associate's degrees, and The University of Findlay appears to follow this pattern. For a family, the practical question becomes whether the smaller class sizes or campus experience at Findlay justify taking on 60% more debt than the state norm for what's ultimately the same credential and similar career entry point. Given that several Ohio schools with actual reported data show stronger earnings potential at lower cost, this program demands a hard look at alternatives before committing.