Business Administration, Management and Operations at University of Southern Indiana

An estimated $11,686 in debt puts this program well below what peers typically carry—Indiana business associate's programs average over $15,000, and the national median is around $14,000. With first-year earnings that peer programs in Indiana suggest hover around $43,000, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.27 suggests manageable repayment. That's roughly three months of gross income, far better than many two-year programs produce.

The caveat here is significant uncertainty. Small graduating classes mean we're relying on estimates from similar Indiana programs rather than this school's actual outcomes. What we do know is that business associate's degrees in Indiana show wide variation—from Purdue Global's $51,510 down to Vincennes's $25,497—and the state median happens to exceed national benchmarks by nearly $10,000. Whether University of Southern Indiana lands on the higher or lower end of that range matters considerably for return on investment.

The low debt figure offers downside protection even if earnings disappoint. At the estimated numbers, graduates would dedicate about 27% of first-year income to repaying their loans annually—workable, though not comfortable. Parents should recognize they're betting on a program with limited outcome visibility, but the financial risk appears contained compared to costlier alternatives in the state.