Is Methodist University Worth It?

Methodist University gives you a mixed financial return. Median earnings ten years out land at $48,050, only modestly above your $27,000 median debt. That's a slim margin, and the 40% graduation rate means many students borrow without finishing, which is the biggest risk here.

Nursing is the clear payoff. At $56,234, it out-earns every other program listed and carries roughly the same debt as everything else, so the math works cleanly. Accounting follows at a respectable distance. After that, the drop is steep: marketing, environmental control technologies, and general business administration all land in the high $30,000s to low $40,000s against a $27,000 debt load. Business administration at $37,363 is the weakest bet on the list, and it's likely one of the more common majors, so choose it with open eyes.

The specific risk at Methodist is the gap between starting and finishing. With a 65% retention rate, roughly a third of freshmen don't return, and a degree you don't complete leaves you with debt and no earnings bump. Fayetteville's job market leans on healthcare and the military presence at Fort Liberty, which supports the nursing outcomes but does less for the business and marketing graduates.

The net price tiers are unusual: families earning under $48k pay around $20,000-22,000, while families over $110k pay $30,198. Aid compresses the cost for lower-income households, but even the discounted price is real money against these earnings. If you're targeting nursing and you're confident you'll graduate, Methodist can work. If you're undecided or leaning toward general business, the combination of a 40% grad rate and sub-$40k earnings makes this a hard number to justify. Look harder at cheaper public options before committing.