International Business at Utah State University

Utah State's International Business program reports impressive numbers—$65,745 in first-year earnings with just $16,472 in debt—but there's a significant caveat: fewer than 30 graduates were tracked, making these figures less reliable than typical program data. That said, the earnings figure ranks in the 95th percentile nationally for international business degrees, crushing the $49,890 national median by over $15,000. The debt load is similarly favorable, coming in well below the national median of $23,472.

The state comparison is harder to interpret since only two Utah schools offer this program, but Utah State matches the state median on both metrics. Given the school's 94% admission rate and modest SAT scores, these outcomes suggest the program may be punching above its weight—though it's worth noting that with such a small graduating class, a few high earners could be skewing the results upward.

For parents comfortable with some statistical uncertainty, the 0.25 debt-to-earnings ratio looks excellent on paper. Graduates would need just three months of earnings to cover their entire debt, assuming they match this median. Just remember that your child's outcome could vary significantly from these numbers given the limited sample size. If they're genuinely interested in international business and prefer staying in-state, this appears worth considering—but visit campus and talk to current students to understand what's driving these outcomes.