Marketing at University of Alabama in Huntsville

UAH's marketing program generates first-year earnings of $40,225 with $23,000 in debt—numbers that land right at Alabama's median but fall short of what the state's flagship universities deliver. While the debt load is manageable at just over half of first-year income, graduates from Alabama's top programs are earning $5,000-$8,000 more right out of the gate, a gap that compounds significantly over a career.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) makes these figures less reliable than we'd like, but the pattern is clear: this program underperforms nationally, ranking in just the 23rd percentile compared to marketing programs across the country. In a field where starting salary often determines your trajectory in sales, brand management, or digital marketing roles, beginning at $40K rather than $45K-$49K matters. The good news is that UAH's admission standards (1321 SAT average) suggest reasonably selective academics without the debt levels that often accompany more expensive private institutions.

For an in-state student weighing options, this program offers adequate preparation at a reasonable price, but Alabama, Auburn, and even Samford all deliver noticeably stronger employment outcomes. If your child has the academic profile for those schools and cost differences aren't prohibitive, the earnings premium likely justifies looking elsewhere.