Accounting at Transylvania University

Transylvania University's accounting graduates start at $58,803—nearly $9,000 above the Kentucky median and significantly higher than what graduates earn from larger state schools like University of Louisville and Western Kentucky. That's impressive for a program with just an 85% admission rate, particularly when paired with a below-average debt load of $27,000 that ranks in the 25th percentile nationally.

The fundamentals here look solid. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46 means graduates can realistically manage their loans, and the program performs in the 60th percentile among Kentucky accounting programs despite the state having 22 options. Early earnings growth is modest at 6%, but starting strong matters more than dramatic increases in accounting, where compensation tends to stabilize relatively quickly.

The major caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so your child's experience could vary more than at a larger program. Still, the combination of low debt and above-market starting salaries suggests Transylvania delivers good value if your student thrives in a smaller, selective environment. The real question is whether the private school experience justifies any additional costs beyond what these debt figures reflect—these numbers only capture students who borrowed.