Business Administration, Management and Operations at University of Providence

The business program at University of Providence sits in a particularly uncertain position. With both earnings and debt figures estimated from peer programs rather than actual graduate outcomes, what we know is that Montana business programs cluster around $40,000 in first-year earnings—roughly $5,000 below the national median. The estimated $26,948 in debt lands close to both state and national norms, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 if the earnings projection holds.

Here's the challenge: four years post-graduation, this program reports actual median earnings of $50,590, which represents solid growth and puts graduates near the national 75th percentile. That's encouraging. But we don't know if University of Providence's graduates specifically match the state's $40,000 first-year benchmark, or if they start higher like Carroll College grads ($48,337) or lower like Montana Western grads ($35,880). Given the school's 985 average SAT score and 31% Pell grant population, graduates may face a steeper climb early on than the state median suggests.

For parents, this means you're betting on long-term growth rather than immediate returns. The four-year earnings figure suggests the degree pays off eventually, but without knowing this school's actual starting salaries or graduate debt loads, you're working with educated guesses rather than hard data. If your student needs strong first-year earnings to manage debt payments, programs with reported outcomes would offer more certainty.