Oregon’s Business Degrees Among Nation’s Priciest, Graduates Paying Over Half Their Income to Debt
University of Portland's Business Grads Face High Debt Burden
Business graduates at the University of Portland spend more than 50% of their income to repay student loans.
Portland Ranks Seventh in the Highest Debt Position Nationwide
This has been established in a study conducted by Tailwind, a social media management tool for small businesses, that examined the cost of a four-year degree and estimated monthly loan repayments.
The university is ranked in the seventh highest debt position, with business graduates spending 59.3% of their earnings in the first two years repaying student loans.
Neighboring California is the Most Budget Friendly
The most cost-effective colleges in 2025 are those with the lowest monthly repayment as a percentage of earnings after two years.
That honor goes to neighboring California State University, Dominguez Hills, ranked as the best budget-friendly college for business or marketing graduates.
Loan repayment debt for business and marketing degrees averages 9.3% of graduate salaries which translates to a whopping 50% saving on student load repayments for the same degrees at the University of Portland.
According to the study, a four-year degree at Dominguez Hills costs $59,832. This equates to a monthly repayment of $429. With average salaries pegged at $4,612 after two years, graduates from this California institution repay student loans at 9.3% which is 68.8% below the national average of 29.9%.
Top Seven Most Expensive Learning Institutions
The most expensive colleges for business and marketing graduates with student loan repayments as a percentage are:
- Alfred University 4%
- Franklin Pierce University 1%
- Nazareth College 9%
- Whitworth 2%
- Rivier University 9%
- Syracuse University 6%
- University of Portland 3%
New York Tops the List
New York’s Alfred University is the most expensive institution for business and marketing graduates. A four-year degree costs $209,348, with monthly repayments of $1,500 based on average monthly earnings of $1,889 two years after graduation.
That means that graduates pay 79.4% of their income on student loans – 165.5% above the national average.
The second most expensive college for business and marketing graduates is Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire.
The college cost of a four-year degree is $241,960 and, according to the study, graduates earn $2,474. This means they spend 70.1% of their monthly income on loan repayments after two years, amounting to $1,733, or 134.4% above the national average.
In third position is Nazareth College with 62.9% of monthly income spent on loan repayments.
The other universities ranked above Oregon are Whitworth University at 62.2%, and Rivier University at 61.9% of graduate incomes spent on loan repayments after two years.