Business Administration, Management and Operations at Westminster College

Westminster College's business program lands squarely in the middle of the pack—below both state and national medians for earnings, but with manageable debt that matches typical borrowing levels. At $42,184 in the first year, graduates earn about $5,000 less than the Pennsylvania median for business majors and fall in just the 33rd percentile nationally. Among the 82 Pennsylvania schools offering this program, Westminster ranks in the 40th percentile, meaning six out of ten programs deliver stronger early-career outcomes.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $26,000, borrowing is precisely at the national median and actually slightly below Pennsylvania's typical $27,000. This produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62, which is reasonable though not impressive. Earnings do grow 13% over four years to $47,544, bringing graduates closer to state and national benchmarks. However, this is still a far cry from what Pennsylvania's strongest business programs deliver—Carnegie Mellon and Penn graduates earn roughly double what Westminster students make.

For families paying in-state tuition, this represents a functional but unremarkable investment. The debt is containable and the degree leads to employment, but Westminster doesn't position graduates for the higher-earning business roles that many families expect from a four-year business degree. If stronger programs are financially accessible, they offer meaningfully better returns.