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Business Administration
What you'll do in college
Business administration covers the full picture of running a company: accounting, finance, marketing, operations, organizational behavior, strategy, and ethics. Many programs require team projects, case studies, presentations, and an internship.
The major emphasizes communication, leadership, and teamwork as much as technical knowledge, and many programs let you concentrate in general management, international business, or a specific functional area.
What you'll do after college
Grads go into virtually every industry—consulting, tech, retail, manufacturing, finance, healthcare, nonprofits, and government. Common entry roles include analyst, associate, account manager, operations specialist, and management trainee.
Pay varies widely by industry and city, with consulting and tech among the highest. The degree is valued as a generalist credential that opens doors across sectors.
Famous graduates
- Warren Buffett — CEO of Berkshire Hathaway; B.S. in Business Administration from University of Nebraska
- Doug McMillon — CEO of Walmart; B.S. in Business Administration from University of Arkansas
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings
By SAT median
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | 1,189 | 133,488 | 57% / 43% | 5% | $67,428 | 95% |
| Business Administration | 918 | 74,069 | 57% / 43% | 6% | $65,503 | 95% |
| Business Management and Administration | 72 | 15,504 | 55% / 45% | 3% | $69,261 | 94% |
| General Business | 152 | 15,341 | 59% / 41% | 5% | $66,996 | 95% |
| Management | 97 | 10,958 | 54% / 46% | 3% | $71,634 | 94% |
| Business | 99 | 4,947 | 58% / 42% | 6% | $68,294 | 96% |
| Business Administration and Management | 34 | 2,551 | 50% / 50% | 3% | $68,693 | |
| Business Management | 54 | 1,756 | 55% / 45% | 2% | $66,918 | 95% |
| Management Science | 33 | 1,654 | 59% / 41% | 21% | $75,687 | 96% |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 32 | 1,345 | 61% / 39% | 7% | $79,148 | 98% |
| Engineering Management | 51 | 1,055 | 78% / 22% | 6% | $82,466 | 97% |
| Administration | 1 | 694 | 48% / 52% | 3% | $52,969 | 90% |
| Integrated Business | 1 | 592 | 66% / 34% | 4% | $64,973 | 94% |
| Business Studies | 24 | 497 | 67% / 33% | 5% | $70,941 | 95% |
| Management Sciences | 13 | 281 | 64% / 36% | 21% | $76,346 | 99% |
| Applied Economics and Management | 1 | 257 | 54% / 46% | 10% | $125,214 | 94% |
| Business Honors | 1 | 221 | 51% / 49% | 3% | $96,136 | 93% |
| Business of Beauty and Fragrance | 1 | 140 | 10% / 90% | 19% | $60,025 | |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 10 | 129 | 37% / 63% | 2% | $73,140 | 94% |
| General Management | 1 | 122 | 56% / 44% | 4% | $88,368 | 95% |
| Business and Political Economy | 1 | 117 | 68% / 32% | 32% | $81,864 | 89% |
| Consumer Science | 3 | 102 | 29% / 71% | 3% | $66,932 | 94% |
| Office Management and Supervision | 3 | 83 | 64% / 36% | 1% | $73,157 | 96% |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 8 | 81 | 58% / 42% | 36% | $67,319 | 96% |
| Business and Management | 15 | 76 | 79% / 21% | 12% | $70,199 | 97% |
| Consumer Sciences | 2 | 75 | 60% / 40% | 0% | $54,220 | 97% |
| Economics (Business) | 1 | 74 | 77% / 23% | 26% | $85,767 | 95% |
| Public Management, Leadership and Policy | 1 | 72 | 43% / 57% | 7% | $66,710 | 96% |
| Supply Chain and Sales Engineering Technology | 1 | 63 | 83% / 17% | 24% | $92,536 | 88% |
| Engineering and Management | 1 | 59 | 76% / 24% | 2% | $83,627 | 99% |
| Transportation Management | 3 | 53 | 62% / 38% | 6% | $57,054 | 91% |
| Management and Operations | 1 | 47 | 74% / 26% | 13% | $57,764 | 92% |
| Applied Engineering Technology | 6 | 44 | 70% / 30% | 9% | $67,390 | |
| Management & Entrepreneurship | 1 | 40 | 45% / 55% | 5% | $66,171 | 89% |
| Funeral Direction/Service | 1 | 37 | 22% / 78% | 0% | $61,457 | 100% |
| Consumer Affairs | 2 | 31 | 23% / 77% | 6% | $62,784 | 100% |
| Business and Economics | 1 | 30 | 80% / 20% | 3% | $76,101 | 97% |
| Facilities Engineering | 1 | 30 | 83% / 17% | 0% | $80,684 | |
| Business and Management Systems | 1 | 26 | 77% / 23% | 8% | $69,465 | 97% |
| Administrative Management | 1 | 25 | 12% / 88% | 0% | $42,762 | 96% |
| Applied Business Administration | 3 | 24 | 25% / 75% | 4% | $45,766 | 92% |
| Office Management | 7 | 22 | 41% / 59% | 0% | $63,063 | 95% |
| Automotive & Mobility Studies | 1 | 22 | 73% / 27% | 0% | $62,782 | 95% |
| Management and Leadership | 1 | 22 | 27% / 73% | 0% | $116,552 | 100% |
| Management Engineering | 1 | 17 | 59% / 41% | 6% | $100,092 | |
| Management Science (Course 15) | 1 | 16 | 19% / 81% | 12% | $135,388 | 95% |
| Business Informatics | 1 | 14 | 71% / 29% | 14% | $95,451 | 98% |
| Science/Technology Management | 3 | 13 | 92% / 8% | 0% | $63,397 | 97% |
| Office Administration | 1 | 11 | 18% / 82% | 0% | $55,375 | 91% |
| Business and Managerial Economics | 15 | 9 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $70,511 | |
| Telecommunications Management | 6 | 8 | 75% / 25% | 12% | $64,799 | |
| Applied Management | 2 | 8 | 75% / 25% | 12% | $83,311 | 100% |
| Petroleum Land Management | 1 | 7 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $66,732 | |
| Applied Engineering Management | 1 | 6 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $77,906 | |
| Business/Commerce | 3 | 4 | 75% / 25% | 0% | $69,493 | |
| Business, Economics, and Management | 1 | 3 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $172,249 | |
| Public Administration and Policy | 1 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $59,526 | 100% |
| Business Administration and Operations | 2 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $72,472 | 100% |
| Automotive Aftermarket Management | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $62,675 |