Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations at Utah State University

A 0.45 debt-to-earnings ratio tells a workable story for an undergraduate certificate—roughly five months of gross income to pay off the credential—but the catch is that both figures are national estimates, not Utah State's actual outcomes. Since this program graduated too few students to generate reportable data, we're relying on what similar entrepreneurship certificates produce elsewhere: around $42,000 in first-year earnings and $19,000 in debt.

The challenge with entrepreneurship programs is that outcomes vary wildly based on what students do with them. Some use the certificate as a launching pad for their own ventures (where short-term earnings might understate long-term value), while others apply entrepreneurial skills within existing organizations. That $42,000 figure represents a national median across very different career paths, making it difficult to know whether Utah State's specific curriculum and regional connections produce better or worse results than the national average.

For families considering this investment, the relatively modest debt load keeps the downside manageable even if the estimated earnings prove optimistic. But you're essentially betting on a program with no track record to evaluate—not because Utah State is hiding anything, but because the cohorts are too small to measure. If your child has a specific business concept or is combining this certificate with other credentials or experience, the risk calculus improves. As a standalone credential without a clear entrepreneurial plan, you're taking more on faith than data can justify.