Human Resources Management and Services at University of Tulsa

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.66 puts this program in workable territory, though the fuller picture requires some reading between lines. Based on three comparable HR programs in Oklahoma, first-year earnings hover around $46,000—roughly $5,000 below the national median for this degree. The estimated $30,000 in debt comes from patterns across similar private institutions nationwide, which tends to run higher than Oklahoma's typical $24,000 for HR programs.

What complicates the assessment here is that Southern Nazarene graduates reportedly earn $62,000 in their first year—nearly 36% more than what peer data suggests for University of Tulsa. That's a substantial gap for programs in the same metro area serving similar employers. The question becomes whether Tulsa's selectivity (SAT averages of 1325) translates into better placement or merely reflects a different student profile entering the workforce with more debt.

The debt load isn't alarming on its own—roughly eight months of estimated gross salary—but it's elevated compared to state norms without clear evidence of premium outcomes. For parents weighing a $120,000 investment in a Tulsa education, the uncertainty cuts both ways: your child might match those stronger Southern Nazarene numbers, or they might track closer to the $45,000 state median while carrying $6,000 more debt. Push the school hard on actual placement data and starting salaries before committing.