Business Administration, Management and Operations at University of the Potomac-Washington DC Campus

In DC, business management programs produce wildly different outcomes, from Georgetown's $77,000 earners down to UDC's $36,000—and comparable programs suggest this one falls somewhere in the middle at an estimated $57,490 in first-year earnings. That's a solid starting point, roughly matching the DC median and well above the national benchmark of $46,000. But here's the problem: the estimated debt load of $43,000 significantly exceeds both the DC median ($25,000) and national median ($26,000) for business programs, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74 that strains the typical affordability guidelines.

The trajectory looks even shakier when you consider that earnings four years out actually drop to $42,564—an unusual pattern that could signal retention issues in early-career positions or challenges in advancing within the field. If similar programs typically see graduates earning less four years into their careers than in year one, that undermines the fundamental investment logic of taking on substantial debt for this degree. Combined with debt levels nearly double what peers typically carry, families should scrutinize what specifically justifies the premium, particularly when DC offers business programs at comparable or lower price points that appear to deliver similar or better outcomes.