Business Administration, Management and Operations at University of Nevada-Reno

UNR's business administration graduates earn about $10,000 less than the Nevada median for this program—landing in just the 40th percentile statewide. That gap is significant when you consider that smaller institutions like Great Basin College and even for-profit schools are producing business graduates with substantially higher starting salaries. At $44,914 in year one, these graduates are barely keeping pace with the national average despite Nevada's relatively strong economy.

The silver lining here is debt management. At $17,975, graduates are borrowing roughly half the national median for business programs, resulting in a very manageable 0.40 debt-to-earnings ratio. Earnings also grow respectably to $54,341 by year four—a 21% increase that suggests graduates find their footing. Still, that four-year figure remains below what peer institutions achieve right out of the gate.

For a family paying in-state tuition, the low debt load makes this workable, but the earnings trajectory suggests UNR's business program isn't opening the same doors as competitors within Nevada. If your child is set on UNR for other reasons, the debt burden won't be crushing. But if maximizing early career earnings is the priority, the data points toward exploring other Nevada options first.