Business Administration, Management, and Operations

Salary data, best schools, and honest ROI assessment

Avg Earnings (4yr)

$47,750

Median Earnings

$64,890

Schools Offering

1,358

ROI Grade

Earnings Range (4 Years After Graduation)

25th: $57,892Median: $64,89075th: $72,507

Best Schools for Business Administration, Management, and Operations by Earnings

#	School	ROI	4yr Earnings	Net Price	Major Debt	Grade
1	Carnegie Mellon University PA · Private	97	$160,783	$31,944	$23,250	A
2	Johns Hopkins University MD · Private	96	$147,384	$18,809	N/A	-
3	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public	95	$144,654	$13,138	$19,000	A
4	University of California-Berkeley CA · Public	97	$144,599	$13,481	$12,195	A
5	University of Virginia-Main Campus VA · Public	95	$142,113	$21,565	N/A	-
6	New York University NY · Private	84	$137,804	$37,050	$19,500	B+
7	University of Pennsylvania PA · Private	97	$136,806	$28,699	$20,348	A
8	Emory University GA · Private	92	$136,731	$22,585	$19,500	A
9	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public	94	$135,874	$11,655	$14,339	A
10	Baylor University TX · Private	63	$124,434	$41,104	$15,000	A
11	Maine Maritime Academy ME · Public	84	$123,155	$23,414	$27,000	B+
12	Boston College MA · Private	92	$123,144	$41,704	$17,873	A
13	Washington and Lee University VA · Private	91	$121,699	$23,781	N/A	-
14	Wake Forest University NC · Private	88	$118,167	$28,719	$18,899	A
15	Georgetown University DC · Private	93	$117,733	$40,815	$16,422	A
16	Villanova University PA · Private	89	$114,211	$43,756	$27,000	B
17	Northeastern University MA · Private	91	$113,620	$30,915	$24,000	B+
18	University of Notre Dame IN · Private	97	$111,444	$26,780	N/A	-
19	William & Mary VA · Public	91	$111,366	$19,096	$19,812	B+
20	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public	96	$110,902	$16,665	$17,000	A
21	University of Southern California CA · Private	91	$109,128	$32,740	$17,375	A
22	Boston University MA · Private	90	$108,412	$24,402	$25,000	B+
23	Brandeis University MA · Private	77	$108,405	$35,736	$26,000	C+
24	Stevens Institute of Technology NJ · Private	92	$108,400	$41,346	$27,000	B
25	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public	93	$107,904	$14,355	$19,175	B+
26	Babson College MA · Private	96	$107,520	$40,514	$23,000	B+
27	Lehigh University PA · Private	93	$107,079	$36,931	N/A	-
28	George Washington University DC · Private	88	$107,023	$36,586	$20,500	B
29	Southern Methodist University TX · Private	79	$106,799	$40,892	$19,500	B+
30	Texas Christian University TX · Private	71	$106,765	$36,660	$25,000	B+
31	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus GA · Public	97	$106,155	$12,116	$23,000	B+
32	Indiana University-Bloomington IN · Public	84	$105,583	$16,264	$19,500	B+
33	Brigham Young University UT · Private	94	$105,544	$15,564	$11,000	A
34	University of San Francisco CA · Private	80	$104,390	$41,431	$24,602	C+
35	University of Richmond VA · Private	81	$103,856	$31,309	$20,500	B+
36	Franklin and Marshall College PA · Private	81	$101,895	$36,425	$19,500	B+
37	University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public	91	$100,005	$17,354	$20,500	B+
38	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY · Private	93	$99,713	$36,228	$26,000	C+
39	Bentley University MA · Private	94	$99,514	$37,930	$25,000	B
40	Lehigh University PA · Private	93	$98,481	$36,931	$20,500	B+
41	Yeshiva University NY · Private	67	$97,914	$49,965	$22,000	B
42	Wentworth Institute of Technology MA · Private	82	$97,183	$34,170	N/A	-
43	Edgewood College WI · Private	58	$96,101	$26,113	N/A	-
44	Tulane University of Louisiana LA · Private	64	$95,966	$39,949	$19,250	B+
45	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA · Public	70	$95,917	$30,434	$21,000	B+
46	Miami University-Oxford OH · Public	54	$95,796	$28,384	$25,000	B
47	The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public	90	$94,458	$19,857	$20,750	B+
48	University of Minnesota-Crookston MN · Public	75	$93,969	$12,212	$27,434	C+
49	Loyola University Maryland MD · Private	83	$93,753	$30,574	$27,000	B
50	University of Rochester NY · Private	85	$93,367	$29,278	N/A	-

School-by-school analysis: Business Administration, Management, and Operations

Editorial breakdowns of how business administration, management, and operations graduates fare at the top-earning programs in our dataset.

Carnegie Mellon University

PA · Private · $160,783 4yr earnings · $23,250 median debt

The Tepper School of Business runs a distinctive business program that blends quantitative methods with management: 151 graduates, $95,891 at year one, $160,783 at four years. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.242 (ROI grade A) shows the economics are sound. Business students at CMU benefit from proximity to a computer science environment that shapes how they think and sell -- consulting firms, technology companies, and financial institutions recruit here specifically for analytically trained business graduates. The four-year figure ($160,783) reflects that trajectory.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

MI · Public · $144,654 4yr earnings · $19,000 median debt

Ross School of Business sends 613 Business Administration graduates into the workforce earning $93,674 at year one and $144,654 at four years. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.203 (ROI grade A) with $19,000 median debt is strong. Ross is consistently recognized by employers as one of the top undergraduate business programs, and the Scorecard data validates that recognition. Graduates enter consulting, finance, technology, and management roles at large companies. In-state students at $17,736 tuition getting $93,000 year-one earnings are accessing a program that competes with schools charging $70,000+ in tuition.

University of California-Berkeley

CA · Public · $144,599 4yr earnings · $12,195 median debt

Haas School of Business at Berkeley (428 graduates, $90,008 at year one, $144,599 at four years, ROI grade A, DTE 0.135) delivers business outcomes that exceed most stand-alone business schools at lower-ranked institutions. Median debt of $12,195 is lower than CS, which is unusual -- Haas students tend to come from higher-income families and borrow less. The four-year figure ($144k) reflects consulting, finance, and tech-adjacent business roles that Haas places into via recruiting relationships with Bay Area and national firms. Haas admits roughly 250-300 students per year as a semi-selective internal program; not all Berkeley freshmen who intend to study business will be admitted.

Emory University

GA · Private · $136,731 4yr earnings · $19,500 median debt

Business Administration at Goizueta is Emory's ROI anchor: 422 graduates, $85,682 year-one, $136,731 year-four, ROI grade A, with median debt of $19,500 and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.228. Goizueta's placement into consulting (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) and investment banking pipelines drives these figures. The year-four trajectory to $136,731 reflects two-year analyst programs converting to associate roles. This is among the highest-volume A-grade business programs in the Southeast.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

NC · Public · $135,874 4yr earnings · $14,339 median debt

Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC (401 graduates, $85,618 at year one, $135,874 at four years, ROI grade A, DTE 0.167) places graduates into investment banking, consulting, and corporate finance roles via on-campus recruiting. The four-year figure ($135k) reflects the banking analyst-to-associate trajectory and consulting advancement typical for business school graduates from a well-regarded program. Median debt of $14,339 is low. At North Carolina in-state tuition of $8,994, a Kenan-Flagler education is one of the most underpriced business degrees in the country on a pure ROI basis.

Fair Value

Is Business Administration, Management, and Operations Worth It?

Worth It - With the Right School

Business Administration, Management, and Operations offers moderate financial returns. Average earnings of $47,750 four years after graduation are close to the national median for all bachelor's degree holders. The financial case works at affordable schools but gets shakier as tuition rises. Choose your school carefully.

With 1358 schools offering this major, you have significant choice. That's good news - it means you can shop for the best ROI within the field rather than settling for whatever program accepts you.

The top school for this major by earnings is Johns Hopkins University, where graduates earn $147,384 four years out. But averages hide a wide range - where you attend and what you do with the degree matter as much as the major itself.

Best ROI Schools for Business Administration, Management, and Operations All Majors ROI Calculator Compare Schools

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Earnings data represents median earnings 4 years after graduation for graduates of bachelor's programs, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Individual outcomes vary significantly based on career path, location, and other factors.