Business, Management, Marketing, at University of Dayton

The University of Dayton's business program sits in an unusual position: peer programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $50,740, while Ohio business graduates typically earn $28,916—a gap large enough to warrant attention. At an estimated $26,500 in debt, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52 looks manageable if Dayton's outcomes align with the national benchmark, but becomes more concerning if graduates land closer to the Ohio average.

The challenge here is that Dayton's actual graduate outcomes aren't reported, forcing comparisons to similar programs elsewhere. Given the university's 62% admission rate and relatively strong SAT profile (1313), it's plausible that outcomes skew toward the higher end. But that's speculation. What we know is that Ohio business programs show enormous variation—some graduates earn in the high $20,000s while national peers hit $50,000-plus. Where Dayton falls in that spectrum determines whether this represents solid value or a significant financial stretch.

For parents, the absence of school-specific data means you're betting on reputation and network effects without hard proof. The estimated debt load isn't alarming by itself, but only if earnings materialize near that $50,000 mark. Request the university's actual placement data and starting salaries before committing, because a $26,500 debt load looks very different against $29,000 versus $51,000 in earnings.