Finance and Financial Management Services at University of Houston-Clear Lake

The University of Houston-Clear Lake finance program starts roughly $10,000 behind both the national and Texas medians for first-year earnings, which puts it in the bottom quartile among Texas finance programs. That gap is significant in a field where entry-level positioning matters—your child would be earning less out of the gate than three-quarters of finance graduates from other Texas schools, including flagship programs like UT Austin ($81,844) that start nearly double UHCL's initial figure.

The 34% earnings jump by year four suggests graduates are finding their footing and moving into better roles, closing some of that initial gap. However, even the $58,271 four-year mark remains well below what many Texas programs deliver right from the start. The debt load itself is reasonable—actually slightly below state averages—so this isn't a case of excessive borrowing. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.53 is manageable. The core issue is simply that this program's graduates aren't commanding competitive salaries in the Texas finance market.

For families focused on value, this presents a tricky calculation. If your child can gain admission to UT Austin, Texas A&M, or even Texas Christian, the earnings premium would likely justify any additional cost. But if UHCL represents the most accessible option for a finance degree, the manageable debt and eventual earnings growth provide a workable, if unspectacular, path into the field.