Business Administration, Management and Operations: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 1,282 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$64,657 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
13.3 yrsModeled economic break-even
−25%Modeled 10-year ROI
$64,466Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$64,466Median reported earnings · year 4
$63,909Average reported earnings · year 5
$26,000Median federal debt
53thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
1,282Reporting programs
1,253With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,328
- Federal debt
- $14,600
- Reporting programs
- 137
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,685
- Federal debt
- $14,000
- Reporting programs
- 592
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $64,466
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Reporting programs
- 1,282
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $140,589
- Federal debt
- $20,114
- Reporting programs
- 5
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $93,369
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 890
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $109,689
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 18
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $166,604
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 5
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $88,594
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 42
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $74,472
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 9
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$56,895National median$64,46675th percentile$72,343
1,253 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Carnegie Mellon University$160,7832Johns Hopkins University$147,3843University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$144,6544University of California, Berkeley$144,5995University of Pennsylvania$136,8066Emory University$136,7317University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill$135,8748Maine Maritime Academy$123,1559Boston College$123,14410Bismarck State College$122,948Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Business Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1011 · 9 crosswalk linksManagers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 7 crosswalk linksAdministrative Services ManagersSOC 11-3012 · 4 crosswalk linksGeneral and Operations ManagersSOC 11-1021 · 4 crosswalk linksIndustrial Production ManagersSOC 11-3051 · 4 crosswalk linksMedical and Health Services ManagersSOC 11-9111 · 4 crosswalk linksFacilities ManagersSOC 11-3013 · 3 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support WorkersSOC 43-1011 · 3 crosswalk linksLogisticiansSOC 13-1081 · 3 crosswalk linksNatural Sciences ManagersSOC 11-9121 · 3 crosswalk linksProject Management SpecialistsSOC 13-1082 · 3 crosswalk linksTransportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersSOC 11-3071 · 3 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $160,783 | $23,250 | +276% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Johns Hopkins UniversityBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $147,384 | Not available | +301% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $144,654 | $19,000 | +329% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | University of California, BerkeleyBachelor's Degree | Berkeley, CA | $144,599 | $12,195 | +326% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $136,806 | $20,348 | +211% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Emory UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $136,731 | $19,500 | +239% | Strong payoff |
| 7 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillBachelor's Degree | Chapel Hill, NC | $135,874 | $14,339 | +301% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Maine Maritime AcademyBachelor's Degree | Castine, ME | $123,155 | $27,000 | +186% | Strong payoff |
| 9 | Boston CollegeBachelor's Degree | Chestnut Hill, MA | $123,144 | $17,873 | +125% | Strong payoff |
| 10 | Bismarck State CollegeBachelor's Degree | Bismarck, ND | $122,948 | $15,452 | +253% | Strong payoff |
| 11 | Washington and Lee UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lexington, VA | $121,699 | Not available | +179% | Strong payoff |
| 12 | Georgetown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $117,733 | $16,422 | +112% | Strong payoff |
| 13 | Villanova UniversityBachelor's Degree | Villanova, PA | $114,211 | $27,000 | +95% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | William & MaryBachelor's Degree | Williamsburg, VA | $111,366 | $19,812 | +159% | Strong payoff |
| 15 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $110,902 | $17,000 | +167% | Strong payoff |
| 16 | University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $109,128 | $17,375 | +106% | Strong payoff |
| 17 | Boston UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $108,412 | $25,000 | +128% | Strong payoff |
| 18 | Stevens Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Hoboken, NJ | $108,400 | $27,000 | +84% | Positive payoff |
| 19 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignBachelor's Degree | Champaign, IL | $107,904 | $19,175 | +165% | Strong payoff |
| 20 | Babson CollegeBachelor's Degree | Wellesley, MA | $107,520 | $23,000 | +83% | Positive payoff |
| 21 | Southern Methodist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Dallas, TX | $106,799 | $19,500 | +80% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | Texas Christian UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fort Worth, TX | $106,765 | $25,000 | +89% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $106,155 | $23,000 | +168% | Strong payoff |
| 24 | Brigham Young UniversityBachelor's Degree | Provo, UT | $105,544 | $11,000 | +150% | Strong payoff |
| 25 | University of San FranciscoBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $104,390 | $24,602 | +72% | Positive payoff |
| 26 | University of RichmondBachelor's Degree | University of Richmond, VA | $103,856 | $20,500 | +93% | Positive payoff |
| 27 | Franklin and Marshall CollegeBachelor's Degree | Lancaster, PA | $101,895 | $19,500 | +75% | Positive payoff |
| 28 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | $100,005 | $20,500 | +121% | Strong payoff |
| 29 | City University of SeattleBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $99,735 | $18,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 30 | Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteBachelor's Degree | Troy, NY | $99,713 | $26,000 | +68% | Positive payoff |
| 31 | Bentley UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waltham, MA | $99,514 | $25,000 | +64% | Positive payoff |
| 32 | Lehigh UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bethlehem, PA | $98,481 | $20,500 | +63% | Positive payoff |
| 33 | Yeshiva UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $97,914 | $22,000 | +39% | Positive payoff |
| 34 | Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $97,183 | Not available | +65% | Positive payoff |
| 35 | Edgewood UniversityBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | $96,101 | Not available | +80% | Positive payoff |
| 36 | Tulane University of LouisianaBachelor's Degree | New Orleans, LA | $95,966 | $19,250 | +50% | Positive payoff |
| 37 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $95,917 | $21,000 | +69% | Positive payoff |
| 38 | Miami University-OxfordBachelor's Degree | Oxford, OH | $95,796 | $25,000 | +73% | Positive payoff |
| 39 | The University of Texas at AustinBachelor's Degree | Austin, TX | $94,458 | $20,750 | +91% | Positive payoff |
| 40 | University of Minnesota-CrookstonBachelor's Degree | Crookston, MN | $93,969 | $27,434 | +114% | Strong payoff |
| 41 | Loyola University MarylandBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $93,753 | $27,000 | +61% | Positive payoff |
| 42 | Clarkson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Potsdam, NY | $93,152 | $24,757 | +60% | Positive payoff |
| 43 | University of Massachusetts-AmherstBachelor's Degree | Amherst, MA | $92,623 | $22,014 | +77% | Positive payoff |
| 44 | Westminster UniversityBachelor's Degree | Salt Lake City, UT | $92,548 | $22,000 | +65% | Positive payoff |
| 45 | University of DaytonBachelor's Degree | Dayton, OH | $92,317 | $23,364 | +59% | Positive payoff |
| 46 | Saint Louis UniversityBachelor's Degree | Saint Louis, MO | $91,483 | $39,516 | +67% | Positive payoff |
| 47 | Syracuse UniversityBachelor's Degree | Syracuse, NY | $91,472 | $27,000 | +39% | Positive payoff |
| 48 | Golden Gate UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $91,369 | $33,968 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 49 | Pepperdine UniversityBachelor's Degree | Malibu, CA | $91,227 | $28,000 | +12% | Positive payoff |
| 50 | Michigan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | East Lansing, MI | $91,187 | $23,250 | +79% | Positive payoff |
| 51 | Marist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Poughkeepsie, NY | $90,855 | $26,000 | +32% | Positive payoff |
| 52 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $90,284 | $20,160 | +83% | Positive payoff |
| 53 | Fordham UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bronx, NY | $90,192 | $26,915 | +26% | Positive payoff |
| 54 | Thomas Edison State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Trenton, NJ | $89,947 | $12,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 55 | Bryant UniversityBachelor's Degree | Smithfield, RI | $89,929 | $27,000 | +30% | Positive payoff |
| 56 | Loyola University ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $89,745 | $25,000 | +38% | Positive payoff |
| 57 | University of Detroit MercyBachelor's Degree | Detroit, MI | $89,540 | $22,735 | +85% | Positive payoff |
| 58 | University of DelawareBachelor's Degree | Newark, DE | $89,105 | $24,250 | +76% | Positive payoff |
| 59 | University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusBachelor's Degree | Norman, OK | $88,953 | $15,000 | +82% | Positive payoff |
| 60 | Dominican University of CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | San Rafael, CA | $88,913 | $27,000 | +37% | Positive payoff |
| 61 | Howard UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $88,875 | $25,000 | +15% | Positive payoff |
| 62 | Ranken Technical CollegeBachelor's Degree | Saint Louis, MO | $88,623 | $26,250 | +71% | Positive payoff |
| 63 | American UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $88,359 | $24,697 | +25% | Positive payoff |
| 64 | Capella UniversityBachelor's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $87,997 | $33,750 | +71% | Positive payoff |
| 65 | The Catholic University of AmericaBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $87,907 | $26,000 | +44% | Positive payoff |
| 66 | Excelsior UniversityBachelor's Degree | Albany, NY | $87,618 | $14,737 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 67 | Spartan College of Aeronautics and TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Tulsa, OK | $87,302 | $34,250 | +41% | Positive payoff |
| 68 | Utah Valley UniversityBachelor's Degree | Orem, UT | $86,602 | $15,546 | +102% | Strong payoff |
| 69 | University of Maryland-College ParkBachelor's Degree | College Park, MD | $86,590 | $20,500 | +71% | Positive payoff |
| 70 | Milwaukee School of EngineeringBachelor's Degree | Milwaukee, WI | $86,550 | Not available | +54% | Positive payoff |
| 71 | University of New Hampshire-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Durham, NH | $86,535 | $27,000 | +51% | Positive payoff |
| 72 | University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies OnlineBachelor's Degree | Manchester, NH | $86,535 | $27,000 | +86% | Positive payoff |
| 73 | University of Colorado BoulderBachelor's Degree | Boulder, CO | $86,441 | $21,500 | +47% | Positive payoff |
| 74 | The College of New JerseyBachelor's Degree | Ewing, NJ | $85,978 | $23,250 | +41% | Positive payoff |
| 75 | Baylor UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waco, TX | $85,961 | $22,866 | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 76 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $85,586 | $23,250 | +63% | Positive payoff |
| 77 | University of RedlandsBachelor's Degree | Redlands, CA | $85,278 | $27,000 | +34% | Positive payoff |
| 78 | George Mason UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fairfax, VA | $85,224 | $23,471 | +60% | Positive payoff |
| 79 | James Madison UniversityBachelor's Degree | Harrisonburg, VA | $85,137 | $19,750 | +47% | Positive payoff |
| 80 | Providence CollegeBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $85,119 | $27,000 | +7% | Positive payoff |
| 81 | Gettysburg CollegeBachelor's Degree | Gettysburg, PA | $84,973 | $27,000 | +31% | Positive payoff |
| 82 | Fairfield UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fairfield, CT | $84,962 | $25,000 | +7% | Positive payoff |
| 83 | Weber State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ogden, UT | $84,885 | $23,500 | +80% | Positive payoff |
| 84 | Chapman UniversityBachelor's Degree | Orange, CA | $84,378 | $20,500 | +8% | Positive payoff |
| 85 | North Carolina State University at RaleighBachelor's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $84,349 | $20,000 | +58% | Positive payoff |
| 86 | Clark UniversityBachelor's Degree | Worcester, MA | $84,234 | $26,000 | +33% | Positive payoff |
| 87 | Oakland UniversityBachelor's Degree | Rochester Hills, MI | $84,052 | $26,000 | +80% | Positive payoff |
| 88 | Drexel UniversityBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $84,040 | $27,000 | +17% | Positive payoff |
| 89 | Bellevue UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bellevue, NE | $84,019 | $28,380 | +56% | Positive payoff |
| 90 | University of Massachusetts GlobalBachelor's Degree | Aliso Viejo, CA | $83,778 | $37,207 | +25% | Positive payoff |
| 91 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-PrescottBachelor's Degree | Prescott, AZ | $83,749 | $20,508 | +14% | Positive payoff |
| 92 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona BeachBachelor's Degree | Daytona Beach, FL | $83,749 | $20,508 | +12% | Positive payoff |
| 93 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-WorldwideBachelor's Degree | Daytona Beach, FL | $83,749 | $20,508 | +52% | Positive payoff |
| 94 | Western Governors UniversityBachelor's Degree | Salt Lake City, UT | $83,654 | $22,087 | +68% | Positive payoff |
| 95 | Rutgers University-CamdenBachelor's Degree | Camden, NJ | $83,606 | $23,250 | +51% | Positive payoff |
| 96 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $83,606 | $23,250 | +39% | Positive payoff |
| 97 | Rutgers University-NewarkBachelor's Degree | Newark, NJ | $83,606 | $23,250 | +49% | Positive payoff |
| 98 | Notre Dame de Namur UniversityBachelor's Degree | Belmont, CA | $83,441 | $25,493 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 99 | Colorado State University GlobalBachelor's Degree | Denver, CO | $83,415 | $33,530 | +56% | Positive payoff |
| 100 | Thomas More UniversityBachelor's Degree | Crestview Hills, KY | $82,906 | $38,363 | +42% | Positive payoff |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.