Which state pays business administration associate's graduates the most?

Minnesota, where the median program pays its graduates $41,301 in their first year, the highest of 19 state rankings. Wisconsin is next, at $40,548.

Which business administration associate's program pays the most?

Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach in Florida reports the highest first-year pay of the 321 programs ranked here, $74,402. Its median federal debt is $20,063.

How much debt do business administration associate's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $13,418 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 38% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying Business Administration (Associate's) Programs in the US

337 programs report first-year pay
19 state rankings
Associate's in Business Administration, Management and Operations

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median business administration associate's program in the US pays its graduates $34,615 in their first year and $44,516 five years after. Minnesota has the highest state median ($41,301), and California the lowest ($29,222). The median program leaves its graduates with $13,418 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$34,615Across 337 programs

Median pay after 5 years$44,516Across 495 programs

Median federal debt$13,418Across 360 programs

Debt-to-earnings38%Across 290 programs

All 321 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Embry-Riddle Daytona BeachDaytona Beach, FL · private nonprofit	$74,402	Not adjusted	$76,557	$20,063	27%
2	William Rainey Harper CollegePalatine, IL · public	$59,982	$60,007	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
3	Park UniversityParkville, MO · private nonprofit	$56,359	Not adjusted	Not reported	$14,700	26%
4	Phoenix CollegePhoenix, AZ · public	$56,057	$55,680	$56,999	$11,500	21%
5	Excelsior UniversityAlbany, NY · private nonprofit	$55,602	Not adjusted	$65,706	$9,875	18%
6	Post UniversityWaterbury, CT · private for-profit	$52,463	Not adjusted	$63,752	$39,549	75%
7	Purdue GlobalWest Lafayette, IN · public	$51,510	Not adjusted	Not reported	$6,417	12%
8	Broward CollegeFort Lauderdale, FL · public	$50,374	$48,711	$50,228	$12,500	25%
9	Cleveland State Community CollegeCleveland, TN · public	$50,301	$54,752	$44,034	$8,750	17%
10	Columbia Southern UniversityOrange Beach, AL · private for-profit	$49,820	Not adjusted	$51,885	$21,764	44%
11	Arapahoe Community CollegeLittleton, CO · public	$49,531	$48,064	Not reported	$22,144	45%
12	Mendocino CollegeUkiah, CA · public	$49,145	Not adjusted	$42,458	$20,000	41%
13	St Petersburg CollegeSt. Petersburg, FL · public	$47,669	$46,095	$42,341	$24,618	52%
14	Ohio Christian UniversityCircleville, OH · private nonprofit	$47,611	$51,319	$38,835	$22,950	48%
15	American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV · private for-profit	$47,518	Not adjusted	$57,549	$23,141	49%
16	North Hennepin Community CollegeBrooklyn Park, MN · public	$47,361	$48,023	$53,568	$21,210	45%
17	Mid-State Technical CollegeWisconsin Rapids, WI · public	$47,268	$50,234	$45,333	$16,044	34%
18	Charter CollegeAnchorage, AK · private for-profit	$46,989	Not adjusted	$42,301	$21,750	46%
19	Moraine Park Technical CollegeFond du Lac, WI · public	$46,719	$49,651	Not reported	$13,999	30%
20	College of DuPageGlen Ellyn, IL · public	$46,497	$46,517	Not reported	$12,000	26%
21	Northern Essex Community CollegeHaverhill, MA · public	$46,439	$43,911	Not reported	$11,000	24%
22	Connecticut State Community CollegeNew Britain, CT · public	$46,393	$44,777	$48,468	Not reported	Not reported
23	Peirce CollegePhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$46,242	$47,393	Not reported	$41,555	90%
24	SNHUManchester, NH · private nonprofit	$46,051	Not adjusted	$65,237	$24,500	53%
25	Upper Iowa UniversityFayette, IA · private nonprofit	$46,039	Not adjusted	Not reported	$36,875	80%
26	Thomas Edison State UniversityTrenton, NJ · public	$45,973	Not adjusted	Not reported	$14,909	32%
27	Saint Leo UniversitySaint Leo, FL · private nonprofit	$45,820	Not adjusted	$48,622	$34,300	75%
28	Sinclair Community CollegeDayton, OH · public	$45,758	$49,322	$54,108	$13,980	31%
29	Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeCincinnati, OH · public	$45,389	$48,924	$49,138	$16,689	37%
30	Dakota County Technical CollegeRosemount, MN · public	$45,143	$45,774	$66,791	$18,649	41%
31	San Bernardino Valley CollegeSan Bernardino, CA · public	$44,999	$40,642	$46,090	Not reported	Not reported
32	University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · public	$44,944	$48,445	$47,071	$16,125	36%
33	West Georgia Technical CollegeWaco, GA · public	$44,633	$46,351	$37,652	$13,225	30%
34	Reading Area Community CollegeReading, PA · public	$44,544	$45,652	$50,861	$14,650	33%
35	Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$44,510	Not adjusted	$51,484	$12,000	27%
36	Greenville Technical CollegeGreenville, SC · public	$44,362	$47,320	$45,972	$29,397	66%
37	Portland Community CollegePortland, OR · public	$44,172	$42,736	$49,470	$15,273	35%
38	Waukesha County Technical CollegePewaukee, WI · public	$44,016	$46,778	$52,369	$18,019	41%
39	Metropolitan Community College AreaOmaha, NE · public	$43,956	$48,784	$48,728	$10,458	24%
40	Rasmussen UniversitySt. Cloud, MN · private for-profit	$43,736	$44,348	$50,641	$25,555	58%
41	Tarrant County College DistrictFort Worth, TX · public	$43,700	$45,025	$48,878	$17,750	41%
42	Gateway Community and Technical CollegeFlorence, KY · public	$43,658	$48,423	$44,625	$13,393	31%
43	Rochester Community and Technical CollegeRochester, MN · public	$43,642	$44,252	$50,323	$14,640	34%
44	Mount Wachusett Community CollegeGardner, MA · public	$43,503	$41,135	$46,055	$11,000	25%
45	Macomb Community CollegeWarren, MI · public	$43,491	$45,201	$53,403	$9,500	22%
46	Milwaukee Area Technical CollegeMilwaukee, WI · public	$43,437	$46,163	$48,028	$18,977	44%
47	University of PhoenixPhoenix, AZ · private for-profit	$43,227	Not adjusted	$50,637	$25,250	58%
48	Indiana Institute of TechnologyFort Wayne, IN · private nonprofit	$43,104	$46,185	$53,005	$34,791	81%
49	York Technical CollegeRock Hill, SC · public	$43,096	$45,970	$43,572	$12,250	28%
50	Madison Area Technical CollegeMadison, WI · public	$43,085	$45,789	Not reported	$16,500	38%
51	Lansing Community CollegeLansing, MI · public	$43,026	$44,718	$39,787	$17,248	40%
52	Brookline College-PhoenixPhoenix, AZ · private for-profit	$42,749	Not adjusted	$36,495	$24,431	57%
53	South Central CollegeNorth Mankato, MN · public	$42,589	$43,185	$44,914	Not reported	Not reported
54	Piedmont Virginia Community CollegeCharlottesville, VA · public	$42,474	$42,010	$50,057	$11,852	28%
55	Dallas CollegeDallas, TX · public	$42,440	$43,727	$51,191	$15,016	35%
56	Northwest State Community CollegeArchbold, OH · public	$42,324	$45,621	$46,181	$9,991	24%
57	Northcentral Technical CollegeWausau, WI · public	$42,172	$44,819	$45,475	$12,691	30%
58	Columbia Basin CollegePasco, WA · public	$42,127	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
59	Virginia Peninsula Community CollegeHampton, VA · public	$42,039	$41,580	$46,814	$12,000	29%
60	Quinsigamond Community CollegeWorcester, MA · public	$42,028	$39,740	$57,594	$14,671	35%
61	Marion Technical College (Ohio)Marion, OH · public	$41,844	$45,103	$58,788	$8,790	21%
62	Colorado Christian UniversityLakewood, CO · private nonprofit	$41,841	Not adjusted	Not reported	$32,605	78%
63	Grand Rapids Community CollegeGrand Rapids, MI · public	$41,712	$43,352	$37,885	$13,925	33%
64	Northwood Technical CollegeRice Lake, WI · public	$41,564	$44,172	$51,570	$12,954	31%
65	Florida State College at JacksonvilleJacksonville, FL · public	$41,507	$40,137	$43,623	$16,356	39%
66	Catawba Valley Community CollegeHickory, NC · public	$41,425	$43,917	$36,105	Not reported	Not reported
67	Lake Superior CollegeDuluth, MN · public	$41,301	Not adjusted	$55,798	$15,250	37%
68	Davidson-Davie Community CollegeThomasville, NC · public	$41,278	$43,761	Not reported	$24,125	58%
69	Hillsborough CollegeTampa, FL · public	$41,236	$39,875	Not reported	$14,719	36%
70	Washtenaw Community CollegeAnn Arbor, MI · public	$41,152	$42,770	$60,274	$19,691	48%
71	Lone Star College SystemThe Woodlands, TX · public	$41,126	$42,373	$44,318	$17,170	42%
72	Roxbury Community CollegeRoxbury Crossing, MA · public	$41,032	$38,798	$46,625	Not reported	Not reported
73	York County Community CollegeWells, ME · public	$40,980	Not adjusted	Not reported	$10,050	25%
74	Minnesota West Community and Technical CollegeGranite Falls, MN · public	$40,898	Not adjusted	$39,956	Not reported	Not reported
75	San Diego Mesa CollegeSan Diego, CA · public	$40,642	$36,707	$55,898	$8,000	20%
76	Germanna Community CollegeLocust Grove, VA · public	$40,612	$40,169	$50,413	Not reported	Not reported
77	Baker CollegeOwosso, MI · private nonprofit	$40,585	$42,181	$47,196	$23,937	59%
78	Western Technical College (Wisconsin)La Crosse, WI · public	$40,548	$43,093	$48,963	$19,532	48%
79	Volunteer State Community CollegeGallatin, TN · public	$40,513	$44,098	$45,721	$10,718	26%
80	Southwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeFennimore, WI · public	$40,415	$42,951	$43,802	$11,750	29%
81	Northeast Wisconsin Technical CollegeGreen Bay, WI · public	$40,091	$42,607	$45,260	$16,134	40%
82	Front Range Community CollegeWestminster, CO · public	$40,016	$38,831	$42,466	Not reported	Not reported
83	Joliet Junior CollegeJoliet, IL · public	$39,887	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
84	Santa Fe Community CollegeSanta Fe, NM · public	$39,834	$43,198	$50,277	$7,995	20%
85	Delaware Technical Community College-TerryDover, DE · public	$39,784	$39,861	$44,434	$13,275	33%
86	Forsyth Technical Community CollegeWinston-Salem, NC · public	$39,760	$42,152	$43,696	$13,641	34%
87	Lakeshore Technical CollegeCleveland, WI · public	$39,684	$42,174	$46,479	$13,042	33%
88	College of Southern NevadaLas Vegas, NV · public	$39,636	$39,644	$49,380	$9,000	23%
89	Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeEau Claire, WI · public	$39,344	$41,813	$47,889	$18,445	47%
90	Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton, WI · public	$39,337	$41,806	$47,408	$15,120	38%
91	Gateway Technical CollegeKenosha, WI · public	$39,244	$41,707	$49,293	$15,750	40%
92	Seminole State College of FloridaSanford, FL · public	$39,151	$37,859	$35,957	$28,094	72%
93	Ivy Tech Community CollegeIndianapolis, IN · public	$39,005	$41,793	$43,710	$11,686	30%
94	Elizabethtown Community and Technical CollegeElizabethtown, KY · public	$39,002	$43,259	$38,665	$16,255	42%
95	Valley College-MartinsburgMartinsburg, WV · private nonprofit	$38,886	$43,450	Not reported	$21,146	54%
96	Owensboro Community and Technical CollegeOwensboro, KY · public	$38,878	$43,122	Not reported	$8,790	23%
97	Polk State CollegeWinter Haven, FL · public	$38,868	$37,585	$44,925	$8,000	21%
98	Grayson CollegeDenison, TX · public	$38,866	$40,045	Not reported	$6,750	17%
99	Chattahoochee Technical CollegeMarietta, GA · public	$38,857	$40,353	$47,961	Not reported	Not reported
100	Metropolitan Community College-Kansas CityKansas City, MO · public	$38,554	$42,452	$45,924	$13,171	34%
101	Jefferson Community and Technical CollegeLouisville, KY · public	$38,361	$42,548	$51,597	$20,037	52%
102	Western Wyoming Community CollegeRock Springs, WY · public	$38,357	Not adjusted	$45,710	$8,500	22%
103	Tri-County Technical CollegePendleton, SC · public	$38,336	$40,892	$40,059	$9,450	25%
104	Massasoit Community CollegeBrockton, MA · public	$38,255	$36,173	$41,898	$10,738	28%
105	Virginia Western Community CollegeRoanoke, VA · public	$38,214	$37,797	$44,613	$9,350	24%
106	Vance-Granville Community CollegeHenderson, NC · public	$38,146	Not adjusted	$40,677	Not reported	Not reported
107	Lorain County Community CollegeElyria, OH · public	$38,120	$41,089	$50,867	$10,815	28%
108	Northern Maine Community CollegePresque Isle, ME · public	$38,076	$39,233	$35,726	Not reported	Not reported
109	Perry Technical InstituteYakima, WA · private nonprofit	$38,071	$35,576	$41,122	$13,740	36%
110	Mitchell Community CollegeStatesville, NC · public	$38,020	$40,307	$42,020	Not reported	Not reported
111	Hudson Valley Community CollegeTroy, NY · public	$38,018	$35,228	$48,280	$9,250	24%
112	Johnson County Community CollegeOverland Park, KS · public	$37,988	Not adjusted	$49,604	$21,287	56%
113	Central Maine Community CollegeAuburn, ME · public	$37,958	$39,112	$37,779	$12,600	33%
114	Henry Ford CollegeDearborn, MI · public	$37,860	$39,349	$42,443	$14,250	38%
115	Harrisburg Area Community CollegeHarrisburg, PA · public	$37,584	$38,519	$54,313	$16,700	44%
116	Stark State CollegeNorth Canton, OH · public	$37,442	$40,358	$37,280	$16,650	44%
117	Blue Ridge Community College (North Carolina)Flat Rock, NC · public	$37,390	$39,639	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
118	Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids, IA · public	$37,385	$42,598	$38,052	$16,190	43%
119	Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeLexington, KY · public	$37,319	$41,392	$41,126	$13,500	36%
120	Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT · public	$37,285	$37,713	$68,947	$14,250	38%
121	Wake Technical Community CollegeRaleigh, NC · public	$37,124	$39,357	$41,101	$21,000	57%
122	Clark State CollegeSpringfield, OH · public	$37,121	$40,012	$46,155	$22,943	62%
123	Daytona State CollegeDaytona Beach, FL · public	$37,109	$35,884	$37,503	$13,289	36%
124	Cuyahoga Community College DistrictCleveland, OH · public	$37,062	$39,949	$41,168	$12,159	33%
125	Central New Mexico Community CollegeAlbuquerque, NM · public	$37,010	$40,136	$50,103	$9,224	25%
126	Central Piedmont Community CollegeCharlotte, NC · public	$36,962	$39,185	$51,380	$6,959	19%
127	Ohio UniversityAthens, OH · public	$36,935	$39,812	$41,992	$12,750	35%
128	Georgia Northwestern Technical CollegeRome, GA · public	$36,839	$38,257	$42,519	$9,203	25%
129	Southeast Community College AreaLincoln, NE · public	$36,781	$40,821	$43,113	$14,297	39%
130	Gaston CollegeDallas, NC · public	$36,747	$38,957	$33,912	Not reported	Not reported
131	Murray State CollegeTishomingo, OK · public	$36,734	$41,818	Not reported	$12,750	35%
132	Northwest Vista CollegeSan Antonio, TX · public	$36,713	$37,826	$47,810	$9,500	26%
133	Chattanooga State Community CollegeChattanooga, TN · public	$36,486	$39,715	$32,830	$15,162	42%
134	Monroe Community CollegeRochester, NY · public	$36,476	$33,799	$48,594	$10,250	28%
135	Community College of Rhode IslandWarwick, RI · public	$36,468	$35,655	$48,005	$7,756	21%
136	Middlesex Community CollegeBedford, MA · public	$36,446	$34,462	$56,230	$7,551	21%
137	Hill CollegeHillsboro, TX · public	$36,436	$37,541	$44,721	$11,000	30%
138	NHTI-Concord's Community CollegeConcord, NH · public	$36,403	$34,947	$52,575	$13,125	36%
139	Gwinnett College-LilburnLilburn, GA · private for-profit	$36,205	$37,599	Not reported	$26,666	74%
140	Williston State CollegeWilliston, ND · public	$36,138	Not adjusted	Not reported	$11,625	32%
141	Berkeley College-New YorkNew York, NY · private for-profit	$36,005	$33,362	$42,935	$23,148	64%
142	Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolk, VA · public	$35,919	$35,527	$48,451	$11,950	33%
143	Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny, IA · public	$35,852	$40,851	$36,421	$10,811	30%
144	Sullivan UniversityLouisville, KY · private for-profit	$35,788	$39,694	$53,120	$27,086	76%
145	Brightpoint Community CollegeChester, VA · public	$35,785	$35,394	$48,299	$9,250	26%
146	Mohawk Valley Community CollegeUtica, NY · public	$35,774	$33,148	Not reported	$11,770	33%
147	Northern Oklahoma CollegeTonkawa, OK · public	$35,771	$40,722	$38,525	$10,000	28%
148	Ashland Community and Technical CollegeAshland, KY · public	$35,770	$39,674	$32,486	$20,584	58%
149	Guilford Technical Community CollegeJamestown, NC · public	$35,699	$37,846	$36,370	$26,352	74%
150	Cameron UniversityLawton, OK · public	$35,554	$40,474	$53,090	$23,895	67%
151	San Antonio CollegeSan Antonio, TX · public	$35,522	$36,599	$48,967	$10,318	29%
152	Odessa CollegeOdessa, TX · public	$35,507	$36,584	$44,204	$7,097	20%
153	Oakland Community CollegeAuburn Hills, MI · public	$35,493	$36,888	$52,285	$11,862	33%
154	Richmond Community CollegeHamlet, NC · public	$35,246	$37,366	$26,770	Not reported	Not reported
155	Owens Community CollegePerrysburg, OH · public	$35,175	$37,915	$45,485	$18,800	53%
156	Gwinnett Technical CollegeLawrenceville, GA · public	$35,162	$36,516	$66,674	$19,197	55%
157	Pitt Community CollegeWinterville, NC · public	$35,156	$37,271	$34,808	$21,463	61%
158	Alexandria Technical & Community CollegeAlexandria, MN · public	$35,155	$35,647	$37,161	$12,375	35%
159	University of Arkansas GranthamLIttle Rock, AR · public	$35,151	Not adjusted	$35,884	$26,773	76%
160	NUC UniversityBayamon, PR · private for-profit	$34,933	Not adjusted	$21,730	$20,000	57%
161	Onondaga Community CollegeSyracuse, NY · public	$34,922	$32,359	$48,656	$12,000	34%
162	Bunker Hill Community CollegeBoston, MA · public	$34,817	$32,922	$56,038	$9,937	29%
163	Suffolk County Community CollegeSelden, NY · public	$34,816	$32,261	$52,959	$8,000	23%
164	Hudson County Community CollegeJersey City, NJ · public	$34,810	$31,993	Not reported	$8,000	23%
165	Houston City CollegeHouston, TX · public	$34,732	$35,785	$46,026	$16,045	46%
166	Ozarks Technical Community CollegeSpringfield, MO · public	$34,644	$38,147	Not reported	$13,274	38%
167	Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeBowling Green, KY · public	$34,615	$38,393	$38,758	$17,210	50%
168	Keiser UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL · private nonprofit	$34,611	$33,468	$53,579	$31,003	90%
169	College of Southern IdahoTwin Falls, ID · public	$34,368	$35,990	$46,387	$12,375	36%
170	Community College of Allegheny CountyPittsburgh, PA · public	$34,330	$35,184	$46,363	$12,671	37%
171	Nashville State Community CollegeNashville, TN · public	$34,306	$37,342	$44,371	$15,687	46%
172	Central Ohio Technical CollegeNewark, OH · public	$34,245	$36,912	$46,000	$18,745	55%
173	Mid Michigan CollegeHarrison, MI · public	$34,180	$35,524	$44,294	$14,040	41%
174	Northampton County Area Community CollegeBethlehem, PA · public	$33,977	$34,822	$35,375	$21,132	62%
175	Delta CollegeUniversity Center, MI · public	$33,957	$35,292	$49,808	$11,195	33%
176	Genesee Community CollegeBatavia, NY · public	$33,944	$31,453	$41,900	$13,642	40%
177	Mid-Plains Community CollegeNorth Platte, NE · public	$33,906	Not adjusted	$35,326	Not reported	Not reported
178	Central Community CollegeGrand Island, NE · public	$33,898	$37,621	$47,433	$7,902	23%
179	Mercer County Community CollegeWest Windsor, NJ · public	$33,785	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
180	Camden County CollegeBlackwood, NJ · public	$33,780	$31,046	$57,386	$8,208	24%
181	Sacramento City CollegeSacramento, CA · public	$33,689	$30,427	$50,695	$7,500	22%
182	American National UniversitySalem, VA · private for-profit	$33,642	Not adjusted	$32,943	$31,285	93%
183	Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester CampusSewell, NJ · public	$33,605	$30,886	$49,637	$11,460	34%
184	Holyoke Community CollegeHolyoke, MA · public	$33,500	$31,676	$50,052	$9,200	27%
185	Brookdale Community CollegeLincroft, NJ · public	$33,473	$30,764	$54,277	$10,000	30%
186	Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeFayetteville, NC · public	$33,389	$35,397	$33,593	$14,878	45%
187	National American University-Rapid CityRapid City, SD · private for-profit	$33,364	Not adjusted	$46,731	$30,707	92%
188	San Diego City CollegeSan Diego, CA · public	$33,350	$30,121	$52,169	$10,625	32%
189	Somerset Community CollegeSomerset, KY · public	$33,171	$36,792	$32,282	$16,361	49%
190	Middlesex CollegeEdison, NJ · public	$33,090	$30,412	$55,138	$8,585	26%
191	Schoolcraft Community College DistrictLivonia, MI · public	$33,086	$34,387	$52,161	$10,000	30%
192	Tulsa Community CollegeTulsa, OK · public	$33,084	$37,663	$47,355	$15,909	48%
193	Del Mar CollegeCorpus Christi, TX · public	$32,980	$33,980	$44,622	$7,354	22%
194	Amarillo CollegeAmarillo, TX · public	$32,969	$33,969	$43,880	$11,989	36%
195	Jamestown Community CollegeJamestown, NY · public	$32,920	$30,504	$42,103	$8,750	27%
196	Southwest Tennessee Community CollegeMemphis, TN · public	$32,879	$35,789	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
197	Lackawanna CollegeScranton, PA · private nonprofit	$32,815	$33,632	Not reported	$17,500	53%
198	Nelson UniversityWaxahachie, TX · private nonprofit	$32,751	$33,744	Not reported	$30,480	93%
199	Herkimer County Community CollegeHerkimer, NY · public	$32,735	$30,332	$38,668	$14,794	45%
200	College of Central FloridaOcala, FL · public	$32,665	$31,587	$38,264	$15,228	47%
201	Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community CollegeAsheville, NC · public	$32,651	$34,615	$38,269	$27,238	83%
202	Essex County CollegeNewark, NJ · public	$32,638	$29,997	$52,619	$6,625	20%
203	St Cloud Technical and Community CollegeSaint Cloud, MN · public	$32,558	$33,013	$44,329	$18,776	58%
204	Riverside City CollegeRiverside, CA · public	$32,537	$29,387	Not reported	$5,500	17%
205	Pellissippi State Community CollegeKnoxville, TN · public	$32,529	$35,408	$39,896	$8,540	26%
206	Colorado Technical UniversityColorado Springs, CO · private for-profit	$32,525	Not adjusted	$43,369	$26,625	82%
207	Bristol Community CollegeFall River, MA · public	$32,452	$30,685	$58,265	$8,628	27%
208	Bucks County Community CollegeNewtown, PA · public	$32,358	$33,163	$64,435	$11,000	34%
209	Jackson State Community CollegeJackson, TN · public	$32,334	Not adjusted	$23,736	Not reported	Not reported
210	Massachusetts Bay Community CollegeWellesley Hills, MA · public	$32,202	Not adjusted	$58,412	$7,394	23%
211	Blue Ridge Community and Technical CollegeMartinsburg, WV · public	$32,176	$35,952	$43,714	$17,904	56%
212	SUNY Broome Community CollegeBinghamton, NY · public	$32,156	$29,796	$49,276	$11,535	36%
213	J Sargeant Reynolds Community CollegeRichmond, VA · public	$32,111	$31,760	$49,865	$10,500	33%
214	Southern Maine Community CollegeSouth Portland, ME · public	$32,052	$33,026	$43,132	$9,500	30%
215	Spokane Community CollegeSpokane, WA · public	$31,974	$29,879	$35,047	$20,416	64%
216	Tyler Junior CollegeTyler, TX · public	$31,961	$32,930	$55,300	$11,000	34%
217	SUNY AdirondackQueensbury, NY · public	$31,836	$29,499	$44,516	$11,000	35%
218	Finger Lakes Community CollegeCanandaigua, NY · public	$31,785	$29,452	$43,120	$12,000	38%
219	Coalinga CollegeCoalinga, CA · public	$31,708	$28,638	Not reported	$12,000	38%
220	Columbia State Community CollegeColumbia, TN · public	$31,640	$34,440	$44,182	Not reported	Not reported
221	North Dakota State College of ScienceWahpeton, ND · public	$31,594	$35,515	$39,819	$14,762	47%
222	Mott Community CollegeFlint, MI · public	$31,303	$32,534	$47,497	$13,130	42%
223	Navarro CollegeCorsicana, TX · public	$31,290	$32,239	$48,001	$11,250	36%
224	Midlands Technical CollegeWest Columbia, SC · public	$31,245	$33,328	$46,561	$22,500	72%
225	Erie Community CollegeBuffalo, NY · public	$31,224	$28,932	$44,221	$10,300	33%
226	Niagara County Community CollegeSanborn, NY · public	$31,212	$28,921	$43,542	$13,579	44%
227	Southwestern Community College (North Carolina)Sylva, NC · public	$31,162	$33,036	$38,549	$16,312	52%
228	Valencia CollegeOrlando, FL · public	$31,120	$30,093	$44,268	$13,347	43%
229	Spartanburg Community CollegeSpartanburg, SC · public	$31,087	$33,160	$41,215	$11,820	38%
230	Lemoore CollegeLemoore, CA · public	$30,880	$27,890	$46,209	$9,800	32%
231	Mt San Jacinto Community College DistrictSan Jacinto, CA · public	$30,839	$27,853	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
232	Texas State Technical CollegeWaco, TX · public	$30,714	$31,645	$38,935	$14,460	47%
233	SUNY Corning Community CollegeCorning, NY · public	$30,674	$28,423	$40,103	$12,000	39%
234	Danville Community CollegeDanville, VA · public	$30,549	$30,215	$35,980	Not reported	Not reported
235	Herzing University-MadisonMadison, WI · private nonprofit	$30,536	$32,452	$39,668	$38,807	127%
236	Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale, VA · public	$30,503	$30,170	$59,601	$10,319	34%
237	University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical CollegeNorth Little Rock, AR · public	$30,429	$35,001	Not reported	$24,367	80%
238	State Technical College of MissouriLinn, MO · public	$30,368	$33,439	Not reported	$10,000	33%
239	Santa Ana CollegeSanta Ana, CA · public	$30,315	$27,380	$48,762	$7,500	25%
240	Northwest Mississippi Community CollegeSenatobia, MS · public	$29,997	$34,498	$43,982	$9,247	31%
241	American InterContinental University SystemChandler, AZ · private for-profit	$29,996	Not adjusted	$36,863	$27,875	93%
242	Cuesta CollegeSan Luis Obispo, CA · public	$29,983	Not adjusted	$56,729	Not reported	Not reported
243	LaGuardia Community CollegeLong Island City, NY · public	$29,953	$27,755	$44,487	$8,250	28%
244	Georgia Military CollegeMilledgeville, GA · public	$29,923	$31,075	$43,505	$12,004	40%
245	Roane State Community CollegeHarriman, TN · public	$29,823	$32,462	$40,112	$6,000	20%
246	Nassau Community CollegeGarden City, NY · public	$29,658	$27,481	$51,550	$9,500	32%
247	Jackson CollegeJackson, MI · public	$29,624	$30,789	Not reported	$11,393	38%
248	Orange County Community CollegeMiddletown, NY · public	$29,595	$27,423	$47,793	$12,000	41%
249	Pikes Peak State CollegeColorado Springs, CO · public	$29,393	Not adjusted	$40,365	Not reported	Not reported
250	Ocean County CollegeToms River, NJ · public	$29,330	$26,956	$40,940	$11,000	38%
251	Kalamazoo Valley Community CollegeKalamazoo, MI · public	$29,315	$30,468	$42,956	$14,100	48%
252	Berkeley College-Woodland ParkWoodland Park, NJ · private for-profit	$29,110	$26,754	$44,734	$21,047	72%
253	Mildred Elley School-Albany CampusAlbany, NY · private for-profit	$28,965	$26,839	$34,267	$25,000	86%
254	Minneapolis Community and Technical CollegeMinneapolis, MN · public	$28,878	$29,282	$47,836	$12,800	44%
255	Rowan-Cabarrus Community CollegeSalisbury, NC · public	$28,870	$30,607	$37,684	Not reported	Not reported
256	Athens Technical CollegeAthens, GA · public	$28,822	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
257	North Georgia Technical CollegeClarkesville, GA · public	$28,668	$29,772	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
258	Miami Dade CollegeMiami, FL · public	$28,667	$27,721	$36,539	Not reported	Not reported
259	BMCCNew York, NY · public	$28,526	$26,432	$46,845	$8,513	30%
260	Mt San Antonio CollegeWalnut, CA · public	$28,460	$25,704	Not reported	$6,250	22%
261	Modesto Junior CollegeModesto, CA · public	$28,331	$25,588	$41,094	Not reported	Not reported
262	Sierra CollegeRocklin, CA · public	$28,324	$25,582	Not reported	$9,500	34%
263	Clinton Community CollegePlattsburgh, NY · public	$28,117	$26,053	$35,102	Not reported	Not reported
264	Laredo CollegeLaredo, TX · public	$27,990	$28,839	$32,057	Not reported	Not reported
265	Fresno City CollegeFresno, CA · public	$27,966	$25,258	$46,195	$7,689	27%
266	West Kentucky Community and Technical CollegePaducah, KY · public	$27,734	$30,761	$34,424	$12,391	45%
267	Monroe County Community CollegeMonroe, MI · public	$27,663	$28,751	$43,214	$13,443	49%
268	Delgado Community CollegeNew Orleans, LA · public	$27,509	$31,187	$39,269	$34,932	127%
269	University of AkronAkron, OH · public	$27,448	Not adjusted	Not reported	$24,396	89%
270	Delaware County Community CollegeMedia, PA · public	$27,229	$27,907	$55,810	$10,684	39%
271	Medgar Evers CollegeBrooklyn, NY · public	$27,178	$25,183	$45,871	$5,500	20%
272	Sussex County Community CollegeNewton, NJ · public	$27,166	$24,968	$50,249	$11,000	40%
273	Atlantic Cape Community CollegeMays Landing, NJ · public	$27,155	$24,957	$33,964	$8,975	33%
274	Northeastern Oklahoma A&M CollegeMiami, OK · public	$27,116	Not adjusted	$50,598	$11,000	41%
275	Centura College-ChesapeakeChesapeake, VA · private for-profit	$27,056	$26,761	$29,454	$23,000	85%
276	State Fair Community CollegeSedalia, MO · public	$26,944	$29,668	$39,536	$10,343	38%
277	Community Care CollegeTulsa, OK · private nonprofit	$26,873	$30,592	Not reported	$19,510	73%
278	Madisonville Community CollegeMadisonville, KY · public	$26,698	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
279	Gordon State CollegeBarnesville, GA · public	$26,635	Not adjusted	Not reported	$15,191	57%
280	North Central Texas CollegeGainesville, TX · public	$26,503	$27,307	Not reported	$21,136	80%
281	Johnston Community CollegeSmithfield, NC · public	$26,398	$27,986	$37,497	Not reported	Not reported
282	Remington College-Dallas CampusDallas, TX · private nonprofit	$26,287	$27,084	$31,576	$21,750	83%
283	Carl Albert State CollegePoteau, OK · public	$26,274	Not adjusted	$34,762	$10,568	40%
284	Antelope Valley Community College DistrictLancaster, CA · public	$26,096	$23,569	$54,701	$10,625	41%
285	College of the DesertPalm Desert, CA · public	$25,934	$23,423	$54,334	$5,500	21%
286	Walters State Community CollegeMorristown, TN · public	$25,882	$28,172	$33,490	Not reported	Not reported
287	Crowder CollegeNeosho, MO · public	$25,875	$28,491	$39,368	$7,925	31%
288	Dutchess Community CollegePoughkeepsie, NY · public	$25,712	$23,825	$51,171	$7,646	30%
289	University of New MexicoAlbuquerque, NM · public	$25,698	$27,868	Not reported	$11,338	44%
290	Bronx Community CollegeBronx, NY · public	$25,659	$23,776	$44,854	$7,957	31%
291	County College of MorrisRandolph, NJ · public	$25,607	$23,535	$56,910	$9,587	37%
292	Vincennes UniversityVincennes, IN · public	$25,497	$27,319	$38,237	$15,306	60%
293	Laurus CollegeSan Luis Obispo, CA · private for-profit	$24,790	Not adjusted	$35,985	$34,786	140%
294	Queensborough Community CollegeBayside, NY · public	$24,626	$22,819	$42,696	$8,250	34%
295	West Valley CollegeSaratoga, CA · public	$24,594	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
296	Western Dakota Technical CollegeRapid City, SD · public	$24,503	$27,660	$43,025	$22,017	90%
297	Northeast Community CollegeNorfolk, NE · public	$24,497	$27,188	$50,541	$10,500	43%
298	Monroe UniversityBronx, NY · private for-profit	$24,025	$22,262	$34,879	$15,250	63%
299	Miller-Motte College-ChattanoogaChattanooga, TN · private for-profit	$23,907	$26,023	$28,532	$30,649	128%
300	Central Lakes College-BrainerdBrainerd, MN · public	$23,883	$24,217	$37,314	Not reported	Not reported
301	Stella and Charles Guttman Community CollegeNew York, NY · public	$23,720	Not adjusted	$36,918	Not reported	Not reported
302	James Sprunt Community CollegeKenansville, NC · public	$23,171	$24,565	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
303	Mississippi Gulf Coast Community CollegePerkinston, MS · public	$22,672	$26,074	$40,097	$11,000	49%
304	Dyersburg State Community CollegeDyersburg, TN · public	$22,410	Not adjusted	$37,179	Not reported	Not reported
305	Kingsborough Community CollegeBrooklyn, NY · public	$22,199	$20,570	$49,004	$8,691	39%
306	Jefferson Community CollegeWatertown, NY · public	$21,700	$20,107	$44,516	$11,173	51%
307	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-PonceMercedita, PR · private nonprofit	$21,380	Not adjusted	$20,626	$4,500	21%
308	Pasadena City CollegePasadena, CA · public	$20,816	$18,801	$56,767	$5,681	27%
309	Tacoma Community CollegeTacoma, WA · public	$20,066	Not adjusted	$32,980	$16,084	80%
310	Cosumnes River CollegeSacramento, CA · public	$19,699	$17,792	$58,609	$5,500	28%
311	Fortis College-CentervilleCenterville, OH · private for-profit	$19,635	Not adjusted	$31,090	$26,582	135%
312	Hostos Community CollegeBronx, NY · public	$19,499	$18,068	$39,271	$10,425	53%
313	Pearl River Community CollegePoplarville, MS · public	$19,312	$22,210	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
314	Prairie State CollegeChicago Heights, IL · public	$18,885	$18,893	$34,917	$12,500	66%
315	Western Technical College (Texas)El Paso, TX · private for-profit	$18,851	$19,423	Not reported	$20,000	106%
316	Northeast State Community CollegeBlountville, TN · public	$18,572	Not adjusted	$37,995	Not reported	Not reported
317	Generations CollegeChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$17,776	$17,783	Not reported	$30,000	169%
318	Wayne Community CollegeGoldsboro, NC · public	$17,469	Not adjusted	$32,396	Not reported	Not reported
319	Fulton-Montgomery Community CollegeJohnstown, NY · public	$15,900	$14,733	Not reported	$16,750	105%
320	Northern Marianas CollegeSaipan, MP · public	$15,334	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
321	College of the SequoiasVisalia, CA · public	$14,205	$12,830	Not reported	$5,500	39%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 267 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 54, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

46 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked. 16 more programs report pay but aren't listed, because College Scorecard's school file doesn't name their schools. The national medians above still count them.

Business Administration (Associate's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's business administration associate's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Minnesota	11	$41,301	$18,713
2	Wisconsin	15	$40,548	$16,044
3	Florida	13	$39,151	$16,356
4	South Carolina	5	$38,336	$12,250
5	Ohio	15	$37,442	$16,650
6	Massachusetts	10	$37,351	$10,338
7	Kentucky	11	$35,788	$16,255
8	Virginia	11	$35,785	$11,852
9	North Carolina	19	$35,699	$21,232
10	Georgia	9	$35,162	$15,191
11	Michigan	14	$34,837	$14,070
12	Pennsylvania	8	$34,154	$13,825
13	New Jersey	13	$33,090	$9,794
14	Oklahoma	7	$33,084	$13,250
15	Texas	19	$32,980	$14,738
16	Missouri	6	$32,506	$12,586
17	Tennessee	13	$32,334	$12,940
18	New York	32	$30,314	$11,354
19	California	22	$29,222	$7,689

Programs in 29 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

Lowest debt for the pay

Riverside City College, CA17%
Grayson College, TX17%
Cleveland State Community College, TN17%
Excelsior University, NY18%
Central Piedmont Community College, NC19%
San Diego Mesa College, CA20%
Odessa College, TX20%
Roane State Community College, TN20%
Medgar Evers College, NY20%
Essex County College, NJ20%

Only the 217 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to business administration, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

General and Operations Managers

$105,770

Median pay in the US. 3,503,020 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 285,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $50,090Top 10%: $253,390

First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers

$69,500

Median pay in the US. 1,436,680 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 127,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $45,610Top 10%: $104,710

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

$48,520

Median pay in the US. 1,121,800 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 113,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $33,120Top 10%: $77,080

Project Management Specialists

$102,320

Median pay in the US. 1,066,670 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 76,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $61,580Top 10%: $167,970

Common questions

The median business administration associate's program in the US pays its graduates $34,615 in their first year and $44,516 five years after.

Business Administration (Bachelor's) programs in the US, ranked1,105 programs by pay and debt Business Administration (Certificate) programs in the US, ranked74 programs by pay and debt

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024