Business Administration, Management and Operations at University of the Virgin Islands

The single most important thing to understand: while this business program ranks in the bottom 5% nationally, you're looking at the only option in the Virgin Islands—and with just one other school offering this degree territory-wide, the 60th percentile ranking isn't particularly meaningful. The $33,990 starting salary is roughly 26% below the national median for business graduates, and though earnings do grow to $41,317 by year four, that's still well behind mainland alternatives. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures could shift significantly, but the pattern is clear enough.

The debt picture offers the program's brightest spot: $15,462 is manageable, translating to a 0.45 debt-to-earnings ratio that won't crush graduates even with below-average salaries. For families committed to staying in the Virgin Islands—where geographic isolation and a smaller economy naturally compress wages—this represents an accessible path to a business credential without taking on crushing debt. The 97% admission rate and low SAT requirements suggest the school serves students who might not have mainland options.

**The calculation**: If your child can attend a mainland business program, they should. The earnings gap is too substantial to ignore. But if family circumstances, cost of mainland living, or immigration status make that impossible, this program won't saddle them with unmanageable debt—just lower lifetime earnings than they'd see elsewhere.