U.S. median for this major: $77,992.
College Scorecard field of study; 150 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 36% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,250.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $29,237. College Scorecard.
WMU Finance: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses WMU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $5,263 | $24,262 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $5,734 | $26,434 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $13,833 | $63,770 | 1.6 years |
| $75–110k | $18,307 | $84,395 | 2.2 years |
| $110k+ | $23,625 | $108,911 | 2.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (29% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Finance graduates 4 years after graduating ($72,353) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $38,942 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Finance at Michigan colleges
Every Michigan college we cover that reports Finance graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State University | $102,017 | $23,250 | $19,680 | 81% |
| 2 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | $85,068 | $22,150 | $9,492 | 58% |
| 3 | Albion College | $81,887 | $24,979 | $14,301 | 62% |
| 4 | Central Michigan University | $79,906 | $26,672 | $17,597 | 59% |
| 5 | Oakland University | $79,127 | $23,944 | $9,120 | 58% |
| 6 | Walsh College | $76,597 | $14,012 | — | — |
| 7 | Ferris State University | $75,797 | — | $8,624 | 47% |
| 8 | Davenport University | $74,898 | $30,567 | $17,707 | 57% |
| 9 | Wayne State University | $74,703 | $21,500 | $12,766 | 58% |
| 10 | Eastern Michigan University | $74,066 | $25,847 | $15,407 | 46% |
| 11 | Western Michigan University | $72,353 | $26,031 | $15,273 | 58% |
| 12 | Grand Valley State University | $71,348 | $24,199 | $16,317 | 67% |
| 13 | Baker College | $71,345 | $31,822 | $13,157 | 36% |
| 14 | University of Michigan-Flint | $68,826 | $25,930 | $7,007 | 40% |
| 15 | Northwood University | $67,477 | $23,250 | $27,232 | 63% |
| 16 | Saginaw Valley State University | $65,610 | $21,250 | $10,775 | 48% |
| 17 | Northern Michigan University | $63,730 | $19,219 | $14,085 | 52% |
| 18 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | $63,594 | $27,000 | $32,811 | 48% |
11 more Michigan colleges offer Finance but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Finance graduates
Financial analyst
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
General and Operations Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at WMU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About WMU
- Acceptance rate: 85% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 58% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $53,562
- Full cost breakdown · all 99 majors · overview
Related majors at WMU
- Business Administration$75,143
- Accounting$66,666
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Business—
- Human Resources$71,870
- Business Economics—
WMU Finance questions
How much do WMU Finance graduates earn?
Finance graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median $72,353 four years after graduating and $50,787 one year after. The U.S. median for Finance graduates across 438 colleges is $77,992.
How much debt do WMU Finance graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Finance graduates of Western Michigan University is $26,031, about 36% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,250.
Is WMU a good school for Finance in Michigan?
On pay, Finance graduates of Western Michigan University earn $72,353 four years out, $2,031 below the median for the same major across 18 Michigan colleges ($74,384) and $5,639 below the U.S. median ($77,992). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does WMU rank for Finance in Michigan?
Of 18 Michigan colleges reporting Finance graduate earnings, Western Michigan University ranks 11th. The highest is Michigan State University at $102,017.
What jobs do Finance graduates get?
A common career is financial analyst, with a median wage of $79,440 in the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI area and $102,740 nationally. Others include general and operations managers and financial managers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Western Michigan University Finance: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-michigan-university/majors/finance (College Scorecard and BLS data).