Marketing at University of New Orleans

The warning signs here are hard to ignore: UNO's marketing program ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally for earnings, meaning 95% of marketing programs produce better-paid graduates. That $32,624 first-year salary falls roughly $12,000 below the national median and $5,000 below Louisiana's typical marketing grad. Even within Louisiana—where this program sits at the 40th percentile—schools like UL Monroe and Southeastern Louisiana produce graduates earning over $40,000, nearly $8,000 more than UNO. The gap widens when you look at Tulane's $61,000 median, though that's admittedly a different tier of school.

The one silver lining is manageable debt. At $18,324, borrowing is lighter than both state and national averages, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56 means loans equal about half a year's salary—reasonable by today's standards. Earnings also grow 32% to nearly $43,000 by year four, suggesting graduates eventually find their footing. But here's the critical context: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers could swing significantly with a slightly different group.

For anxious parents, this is a tough sell when multiple Louisiana schools deliver demonstrably better outcomes. Unless your child has specific reasons to attend UNO—location, scholarship, family circumstances—the earnings disadvantage is substantial enough to explore alternatives within the state system first.