Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations at University of Mary

A $25,000 debt load for a bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship is manageable territory—the 0.56 debt-to-earnings ratio puts it well within the safety zone financial aid experts recommend staying under. What's uncertain is whether this specific program actually produces the $45,000 first-year earnings figure used here, which comes from the national median for similar programs. With only three schools offering this degree in North Dakota, and University of North Dakota's graduates actually earning around $40,000, there's a real possibility Mary's outcomes could fall closer to state norms than national ones.

The difference matters more than it might seem. At $40,000 instead of $45,000, you're looking at tighter monthly budgets and less margin for error in those crucial early career years. Entrepreneurship degrees are also tricky to evaluate through earnings alone—some graduates launch businesses that show minimal income initially but have long-term potential, while others take traditional employment where success is more immediately visible in salary data.

The relatively low Pell student population (18%) suggests this is a campus serving largely middle-income families who can absorb some financial uncertainty. If your child is serious about starting a business, the debt here won't be crushing even in a worst-case scenario. But if they're using entrepreneurship as a backup plan while expecting traditional job prospects, press the school for clearer outcome data before committing.