Business, Management, Marketing, at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI's business program delivers exceptional outcomes by national standards—95th percentile earnings—but there's an important caveat: only three schools in Massachusetts report data for this program, and this one has fewer than 30 graduates in the sample. That said, the first-year median of $72,850 crushes the national benchmark by $22,000, and graduates see solid 23% earnings growth over four years. The debt load of $26,500 is reasonable, translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.36.

The Massachusetts context is trickier to interpret. WPI sits at the 60th percentile statewide, essentially tied with the state median, and trails Wentworth by about $500. But given the tiny sample sizes and WPI's tech-focused reputation, these graduates may be landing in roles that blend business with engineering or technology—a trajectory that could explain the strong growth trajectory and positions this program differently from traditional business schools.

For families comfortable with the small sample uncertainty, the fundamentals look solid: strong starting salaries, manageable debt, and meaningful earnings progression. The risk is that year-to-year cohorts might vary more than at larger programs. If your child is drawn to WPI's project-based, technical environment and wants business credentials to complement that approach, this appears to be a smart play. Traditional business school seekers might find more consistent data elsewhere.