Business Administration, Management and Operations at Upper Iowa University

Upper Iowa University's associate degree in business administration produces graduates earning $46,039 their first year—nearly $9,000 above the Iowa median and $12,000 above the national average. That 95th percentile national ranking is genuinely impressive. However, the debt load tells a more complicated story: $36,875 is almost double what Iowa students typically borrow for this degree and nearly triple the national median. This creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.8, meaning graduates owe roughly 10 months of their first-year salary.

The comparison to Iowa community colleges is particularly striking. Graduates from Kirkwood and Des Moines Area earn similar or slightly less ($37,385 and $35,852 respectively) but presumably carry far lower debt given typical community college costs. The earnings advantage here—about $8,000-$10,000 annually—would need several years to offset the additional borrowing.

The critical caveat: this data represents fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances could heavily skew these numbers. If your child is considering Upper Iowa for business, the higher debt only makes sense if they're confident in leveraging that earnings potential immediately after graduation. Otherwise, starting at an Iowa community college and potentially transferring later would preserve similar earning outcomes with substantially less financial risk.