Business Administration, Management and Operations: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 2,652 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Business Administration, Management and Operations pays
Career outlook for Business Administration, Management and Operations graduates
The job market for the occupations Business Administration, Management and Operations graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and operations managers | 3,712,900 | +4.4% | $102,950 | Bachelor's degree |
| First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers | 1,558,400 | -0.3% | $66,140 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 1,432,600 | -5.0% | $47,320 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Managers, all other | 1,333,700 | +4.5% | $136,550 | Bachelor's degree |
| Business operations specialists, all other | 1,205,700 | +3.0% | $81,270 | Bachelor's degree |
| Management analysts | 1,075,100 | +8.8% | $101,190 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Business Administration, Management and Operations vs similar majors
How Business Administration, Management and Operations stacks up against the closest fields in Business, Management & Marketing on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Business Administration, Management and Operations Business, Management & Marketing · this major | Taxation | Real Estate | Construction Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 68 B | 86 A | 89 A | 91 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $70,519 | $115,802 | $106,858 | $93,418 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $57,278 | $82,899 | $75,222 | $72,735 |
| ROI vs cost | +210% | +744% | +657% | +500% |
| Typical debt | $28,306 | $32,642 | $26,560 | $23,977 |
| Colleges offering it | 2,652 | 30 | 27 | 47 |
Business Administration, Management and Operations earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Business Administration, Management and Operations
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA | Certificate | $56,998 | — | +22,284% | Strong return |
| 2 | Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA | Certificate | $62,559 | — | +8,301% | Strong return |
| 3 | Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills, IL | Certificate | $66,545 | — | +7,516% | Strong return |
| 4 | Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA | Certificate | $72,376 | — | +6,493% | Strong return |
| 5 | Skyline College San Bruno, CA | Certificate | $56,110 | — | +6,292% | Strong return |
| 6 | Macomb Community College Warren, MI | Certificate | $53,403 | — | +5,093% | Strong return |
| 7 | Solano Community College Fairfield, CA | Certificate | $69,217 | — | +5,087% | Strong return |
| 8 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA | Certificate | $58,293 | — | +4,683% | Strong return |
| 9 | West Virginia University at Parkersburg Parkersburg, WV | Associate's | $60,962 | — | +4,317% | Strong return |
| 10 | Folsom Lake College Folsom, CA | Certificate | $70,915 | — | +4,237% | Strong return |
| 11 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Certificate | $266,651 | — | +4,010% | Strong return |
| 12 | Rio Salado College Tempe, AZ | Certificate | $76,264 | — | +3,648% | Strong return |
| 13 | Palomar College San Marcos, CA | Certificate | $65,947 | — | +3,535% | Strong return |
| 14 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | Certificate | $137,560 | $39,380 | +3,395% | Strong return |
| 15 | Bismarck State College Bismarck, ND | Associate's | $130,501 | $15,250 | +3,176% | Strong return |
| 16 | University of Georgia Athens, GA | Certificate | $113,101 | $19,550 | +3,134% | Strong return |
| 17 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $145,003 | $11,300 | +3,118% | Strong return |
| 18 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | Certificate | $283,761 | $57,458 | +3,035% | Strong return |
| 19 | San Diego Miramar College San Diego, CA | Certificate | $55,451 | — | +3,032% | Strong return |
| 20 | Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA | Certificate | $56,767 | — | +2,945% | Strong return |
| 21 | Cypress College Cypress, CA | Certificate | $58,816 | — | +2,900% | Strong return |
| 22 | California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Certificate | $129,508 | $34,322 | +2,878% | Strong return |
| 23 | Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA | Master's | $132,957 | — | +2,823% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | Associate's | $140,827 | $19,000 | +2,786% | Strong return |
| 25 | Texas A&M University-Central Texas Killeen, TX | Certificate | $84,057 | $23,430 | +2,743% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.