Which state pays business bachelor's graduates the most?

New York, where the median program pays its graduates $53,966 in their first year, the highest of 17 state rankings. Iowa is next, at $51,954.

Which business bachelor's program pays the most?

UT Austin in Texas reports the highest first-year pay of the 204 programs ranked here, $94,041.

How much debt do business bachelor's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $25,625 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 54% of first-year pay.

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

206 programs report first-year pay
17 state rankings
Bachelor's in Business/Commerce, General

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median business bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $46,707 in their first year and $64,119 five years after. New York has the highest state median ($53,966), and Georgia the lowest ($38,937). The median program leaves its graduates with $25,625 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$46,707Across 206 programs

Median pay after 5 years$64,119Across 204 programs

Median federal debt$25,625Across 201 programs

Debt-to-earnings54%Across 194 programs

All 204 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	UT AustinAustin, TX · public	$94,041	$96,893	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
2	NYUNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$77,828	$72,116	$136,918	$19,500	25%
3	Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC · private nonprofit	$76,722	Not adjusted	$107,296	$18,899	25%
4	Baylor UniversityWaco, TX · private nonprofit	$74,886	$77,157	$86,739	$15,000	20%
5	Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$74,868	Not adjusted	$110,708	$24,000	32%
6	Notre DameNotre Dame, IN · private nonprofit	$73,170	Not adjusted	$93,971	Not reported	Not reported
7	University of RedlandsRedlands, CA · private nonprofit	$72,664	$65,629	$84,188	$37,500	52%
8	IU BloomingtonBloomington, IN · public	$71,100	Not adjusted	$105,759	$19,500	27%
9	Regis UniversityDenver, CO · private nonprofit	$66,739	Not adjusted	Not reported	$32,592	49%
10	CUNY Graduate CenterNew York, NY · public	$65,520	$60,711	$75,771	$14,500	22%
11	University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · public	$60,895	$63,239	Not reported	$25,092	41%
12	Concordia University TexasAustin, TX · private nonprofit	$60,641	$62,480	$79,954	$38,138	63%
13	Augusta UniversityAugusta, GA · public	$60,541	$62,872	Not reported	$18,531	31%
14	Saint Anselm CollegeManchester, NH · private nonprofit	$60,054	Not adjusted	$85,301	$27,000	45%
15	Saint Cloud StateSaint Cloud, MN · public	$59,378	$60,208	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
16	UMass DartmouthNorth Dartmouth, MA · public	$59,287	$56,060	Not reported	$24,973	42%
17	John Brown UniversitySiloam Springs, AR · private nonprofit	$58,390	$67,164	$67,683	$26,566	45%
18	George Washington UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$58,373	Not adjusted	Not reported	$20,500	35%
19	Bellevue UniversityBellevue, NE · private nonprofit	$58,128	Not adjusted	$69,161	$27,025	46%
20	UW-OshkoshOshkosh, WI · public	$57,853	$61,484	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
21	Christian Brothers UniversityMemphis, TN · private nonprofit	$57,670	$62,773	Not reported	$49,125	85%
22	Mount Mercy UniversityCedar Rapids, IA · private nonprofit	$57,572	$65,600	$69,914	$33,583	58%
23	University of New HampshireDurham, NH · public	$57,378	$55,084	Not reported	$25,500	44%
24	Empire State UniversitySaratoga Springs, NY · public	$57,225	$53,025	$67,879	$28,710	50%
25	DeVry UniversityLisle, IL · private for-profit	$57,020	Not adjusted	$61,385	$47,236	83%
26	Albright CollegeReading, PA · private nonprofit	$56,932	$58,349	$64,120	$33,500	59%
27	UH-Clear LakeHouston, TX · public	$56,494	$58,207	$85,375	$23,766	42%
28	Sullivan UniversityLouisville, KY · private for-profit	$56,432	$62,592	$61,154	$43,625	77%
29	Seattle Pacific UniversitySeattle, WA · private nonprofit	$56,283	$52,595	$92,084	$22,000	39%
30	Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI · public	$56,118	$58,324	$69,586	$27,250	49%
31	University of MissouriColumbia, MO · public	$55,999	$61,661	$80,927	$21,500	38%
32	Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA · private nonprofit	$55,806	Not adjusted	$96,146	$26,000	47%
33	Walsh CollegeTroy, MI · private nonprofit	$55,524	$57,707	$79,445	$18,000	32%
34	Strayer University-District of ColumbiaWashington, DC · private for-profit	$55,431	Not adjusted	$64,524	$56,517	102%
35	IU EastRichmond, IN · public	$54,860	$58,781	$61,584	$25,250	46%
36	St Lawrence UniversityCanton, NY · private nonprofit	$54,772	Not adjusted	$86,492	$26,113	48%
37	Wartburg CollegeWaverly, IA · private nonprofit	$54,652	$62,273	$71,653	$27,000	49%
38	Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA · private nonprofit	$54,540	$50,966	$92,893	$23,250	43%
39	Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY · private nonprofit	$54,378	Not adjusted	$74,487	$20,814	38%
40	Kansas StateManhattan, KS · public	$54,223	Not adjusted	$64,510	$29,705	55%
41	Oklahoma Wesleyan UniversityBartlesville, OK · private nonprofit	$54,171	$61,668	Not reported	$40,831	75%
42	Excelsior UniversityAlbany, NY · private nonprofit	$53,553	$49,622	$74,852	$23,000	43%
43	Cleary UniversityHowell, MI · private nonprofit	$53,495	$55,598	Not reported	$19,161	36%
44	Mercer UniversityMacon, GA · private nonprofit	$52,819	$54,852	$67,314	$51,452	97%
45	Davenport UniversityGrand Rapids, MI · private nonprofit	$52,491	$54,555	$64,118	$31,000	59%
46	IU IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · public	$52,467	$56,217	$67,246	$22,003	42%
47	University of BaltimoreBaltimore, MD · public	$52,329	$49,857	$71,449	$25,000	48%
48	Alverno CollegeMilwaukee, WI · private nonprofit	$52,065	$55,332	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
49	Waldorf UniversityForest City, IA · private nonprofit	$51,954	Not adjusted	$56,963	$27,000	52%
50	VCURichmond, VA · public	$51,669	$51,105	$70,969	$23,750	46%
51	Franklin UniversityColumbus, OH · private nonprofit	$51,408	$55,412	Not reported	$30,885	60%
52	Randolph-Macon CollegeAshland, VA · private nonprofit	$51,366	$50,805	Not reported	$27,000	53%
53	Grand View UniversityDes Moines, IA · private nonprofit	$51,251	$58,398	$56,271	$27,000	53%
54	Concordia University-NebraskaSeward, NE · private nonprofit	$51,159	$56,778	$67,419	$25,250	49%
55	California Baptist UniversityRiverside, CA · private nonprofit	$51,146	$46,194	$71,107	$28,619	56%
56	UT DallasRichardson, TX · public	$51,060	$52,608	$69,701	$22,083	43%
57	Rollins CollegeWinter Park, FL · private nonprofit	$51,001	$49,317	$92,676	$26,000	51%
58	Western New England UniversitySpringfield, MA · private nonprofit	$50,921	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
59	Framingham StateFramingham, MA · public	$50,775	$48,011	$60,766	$26,000	51%
60	University of South AlabamaMobile, AL · public	$50,515	$56,872	Not reported	$30,980	61%
61	UConnStorrs, CT · public	$50,489	$48,730	$68,564	$19,078	38%
62	East Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, TX · public	$50,488	$52,019	$54,648	$23,734	47%
63	Ashland UniversityAshland, OH · private nonprofit	$50,262	$54,177	$57,458	$30,625	61%
64	UW-WhitewaterWhitewater, WI · public	$49,965	$53,101	$63,645	$25,675	51%
65	Bushnell UniversityEugene, OR · private nonprofit	$49,887	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	54%
66	Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, MN · private nonprofit	$49,881	$50,578	$69,776	$25,625	51%
67	Regis CollegeWeston, MA · private nonprofit	$49,677	Not adjusted	$52,270	$27,000	54%
68	Tarleton StateStephenville, TX · public	$49,471	$50,971	$66,751	$20,896	42%
69	University of KentuckyLexington, KY · public	$49,431	$54,826	$68,803	$23,055	47%
70	Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityLincoln, NE · private nonprofit	$49,372	$54,795	$71,983	$26,750	54%
71	University of KansasLawrence, KS · public	$49,339	$54,780	$67,236	$24,480	50%
72	University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR · public	$49,307	$56,716	Not reported	$29,625	60%
73	University of AkronAkron, OH · public	$49,049	$52,869	$55,195	$31,000	63%
74	UMSLSaint Louis, MO · public	$48,928	$53,875	$61,411	$21,538	44%
75	Buena Vista UniversityStorm Lake, IA · private nonprofit	$48,810	Not adjusted	Not reported	$22,987	47%
76	Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · public	$48,747	$49,960	$73,326	$27,000	55%
77	University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, MN · public	$48,738	$49,419	Not reported	$23,250	48%
78	Washington CollegeChestertown, MD · private nonprofit	$48,699	Not adjusted	$83,160	$27,000	55%
79	Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY · public	$48,654	$53,965	$65,218	$30,750	63%
80	UMKCKansas City, MO · public	$48,603	$53,518	$60,369	$21,853	45%
81	Ohio StateColumbus, OH · public	$48,597	$52,382	$65,016	$19,900	41%
82	Columbia College (Missouri)Columbia, MO · private nonprofit	$48,329	Not adjusted	$58,526	$28,100	58%
83	IU South BendSouth Bend, IN · public	$48,238	$51,686	$61,268	$20,500	42%
84	Montana StateBozeman, MT · public	$48,164	$50,889	$68,260	$23,000	48%
85	IU SoutheastNew Albany, IN · public	$47,862	$51,283	$60,727	$22,062	46%
86	Lindenwood UniversitySaint Charles, MO · private nonprofit	$47,821	$52,656	$68,819	$31,000	65%
87	Spalding UniversityLouisville, KY · private nonprofit	$47,596	$52,791	$56,799	$31,000	65%
88	Avila UniversityKansas City, MO · private nonprofit	$47,530	Not adjusted	$70,789	$32,750	69%
89	Kalamazoo CollegeKalamazoo, MI · private nonprofit	$47,481	$49,348	$76,081	$26,000	55%
90	UH-DowntownHouston, TX · public	$47,469	$48,908	$63,971	$24,000	51%
91	Trinity International University-IllinoisDeerfield, IL · private nonprofit	$47,463	Not adjusted	$70,103	$23,180	49%
92	Florida StateTallahassee, FL · public	$47,342	$45,779	$61,034	Not reported	Not reported
93	Siena UniversityLoudonville, NY · private nonprofit	$47,318	$43,845	Not reported	$27,000	57%
94	Southwestern UniversityGeorgetown, TX · private nonprofit	$47,056	$48,483	$91,444	$25,475	54%
95	Cal State San MarcosSan Marcos, CA · public	$46,958	$42,411	$68,281	$22,875	49%
95	Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaMoraga, CA · private nonprofit	$46,958	$42,411	$95,040	$24,000	51%
97	Purdue Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN · public	$46,950	$50,306	$60,589	$22,764	48%
98	University of OregonEugene, OR · public	$46,897	$45,372	$79,314	$21,500	46%
99	Mount St. Mary's UniversityEmmitsburg, MD · private nonprofit	$46,859	$44,645	$76,055	$21,500	46%
100	Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI · public	$46,827	$48,668	$60,335	$33,294	71%
101	Pittsburg StatePittsburg, KS · public	$46,738	$51,892	$54,241	$23,015	49%
102	Texas A&M-San AntonioSan Antonio, TX · public	$46,676	$48,091	Not reported	$23,217	50%
103	Covenant CollegeLookout Mountain, GA · private nonprofit	$46,628	Not adjusted	Not reported	$21,600	46%
104	Ball StateMuncie, IN · public	$46,550	$49,877	$61,775	$25,000	54%
105	Wright StateDayton, OH · public	$46,523	$50,147	$68,814	$22,375	48%
106	Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA · private nonprofit	$46,300	$41,817	$69,000	$23,875	52%
107	University of the CumberlandsWilliamsburg, KY · private nonprofit	$46,242	$51,289	$60,400	$21,219	46%
108	Montana Technological UniversityButte, MT · public	$46,181	$48,794	Not reported	$21,271	46%
109	Bowling Green StateBowling Green, OH · public	$46,018	$49,602	$55,822	$25,769	56%
110	Washington & Jefferson CollegeWashington, PA · private nonprofit	$45,911	$47,053	$67,513	$26,085	57%
111	University of DenverDenver, CO · private nonprofit	$45,866	$44,508	$80,702	$21,000	46%
112	University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA · public	$45,781	$46,920	$60,262	$26,625	58%
113	UW-ParksideKenosha, WI · public	$45,679	$48,546	$66,590	$20,996	46%
114	University of Nevada-RenoReno, NV · public	$45,630	$45,640	$64,915	$17,500	38%
115	UW-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI · public	$45,570	$48,430	$64,695	$27,000	59%
116	Pacific Union CollegeAngwin, CA · private nonprofit	$45,439	$41,040	$62,136	$31,000	68%
117	Edgewood UniversityMadison, WI · private nonprofit	$45,413	$48,263	$59,580	$27,000	59%
118	USFTampa, FL · public	$45,357	$43,860	$59,627	$19,572	43%
119	Boise StateBoise, ID · public	$45,318	$47,456	$59,854	$22,302	49%
120	Grand Valley StateAllendale, MI · public	$45,285	$47,065	$61,045	$21,025	46%
121	Troy UniversityTroy, AL · public	$45,195	$50,882	$58,123	$26,500	59%
122	UNTDenton, TX · public	$45,122	$46,490	$67,600	$18,050	40%
123	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$45,110	$46,233	$62,450	$27,000	60%
124	UCFOrlando, FL · public	$45,050	$43,563	$66,733	$20,896	46%
125	Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL · public	$45,015	$45,034	$79,592	$17,788	40%
126	Saint Norbert CollegeDe Pere, WI · private nonprofit	$44,827	$47,640	$68,517	$26,697	60%
127	Nichols CollegeDudley, MA · private nonprofit	$44,801	$42,362	$65,586	$25,356	57%
128	Faulkner UniversityMontgomery, AL · private nonprofit	$44,785	$50,420	Not reported	$27,660	62%
129	Sam Houston StateHuntsville, TX · public	$44,700	$46,055	$53,488	$26,641	60%
130	Berea CollegeBerea, KY · private nonprofit	$44,627	Not adjusted	$54,907	Not reported	Not reported
131	Texas A&M-Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi, TX · public	$44,467	$45,815	Not reported	$26,750	60%
132	Lake Forest CollegeLake Forest, IL · private nonprofit	$44,283	$44,302	$57,360	$27,000	61%
133	Missouri Southern StateJoplin, MO · public	$44,262	$48,738	$57,377	$20,737	47%
134	Saint Xavier UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$44,190	$44,209	$63,363	$26,845	61%
135	Montana State University BillingsBillings, MT · public	$44,082	$46,576	$57,075	$22,625	51%
136	Eastern Connecticut StateWillimantic, CT · public	$44,048	$42,513	$71,874	$22,500	51%
137	Midland UniversityFremont, NE · private nonprofit	$44,021	$48,856	$51,843	$27,000	61%
138	IU KokomoKokomo, IN · public	$43,858	$46,993	$57,674	$24,744	56%
139	Ripon CollegeRipon, WI · private nonprofit	$43,757	$46,503	$58,893	$27,000	62%
140	Texas A&M-VictoriaVictoria, TX · public	$43,691	$45,016	$59,197	$25,313	58%
141	Dallas Christian CollegeDallas, TX · private nonprofit	$43,531	$44,851	$44,870	$32,000	74%
142	Indiana StateTerre Haute, IN · public	$43,458	$46,564	$59,886	$24,562	57%
143	Missouri StateSpringfield, MO · public	$43,364	$47,749	$54,872	$26,000	60%
144	McMurry UniversityAbilene, TX · private nonprofit	$43,340	$44,654	Not reported	$32,321	75%
145	University of West FloridaPensacola, FL · public	$43,325	$41,895	$53,294	$22,500	52%
146	Brenau UniversityGainesville, GA · private nonprofit	$43,193	$44,856	Not reported	$44,156	102%
147	West Texas A&M UniversityCanyon, TX · public	$43,167	$44,476	$65,668	$23,383	54%
148	Walla Walla UniversityCollege Place, WA · private nonprofit	$43,155	$40,327	$67,982	$27,000	63%
149	Colorado Mesa UniversityGrand Junction, CO · public	$43,111	$41,834	$63,935	$24,000	56%
150	CSU PuebloPueblo, CO · public	$43,067	$41,792	$58,720	$25,000	58%
151	University of Central ArkansasConway, AR · public	$42,892	$49,337	$65,716	$23,000	54%
152	UT TylerTyler, TX · public	$42,443	$43,730	Not reported	$18,125	43%
153	WVUMorgantown, WV · public	$42,298	Not adjusted	$67,056	$26,432	62%
154	Western Oregon UniversityMonmouth, OR · public	$42,281	$40,906	$54,598	$24,500	58%
155	Westfield StateWestfield, MA · public	$41,862	$39,583	$63,772	$26,000	62%
156	Plymouth StatePlymouth, NH · public	$41,714	$40,046	$64,858	$27,000	65%
157	Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY · public	$41,502	$46,032	$48,225	$27,000	65%
158	Vermont StateRandolph, VT · public	$41,496	$42,361	$51,474	Not reported	Not reported
159	Kentucky Wesleyan CollegeOwensboro, KY · private nonprofit	$41,059	Not adjusted	$47,412	$25,000	61%
160	Lewis-Clark State CollegeLewiston, ID · public	$40,922	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
161	Stephen F. AustinNacogdoches, TX · public	$40,868	$42,107	$53,002	$25,000	61%
162	Adams StateAlamosa, CO · public	$40,181	$38,991	$53,884	$23,624	59%
163	Middle Tennessee StateMurfreesboro, TN · public	$40,100	$43,649	Not reported	$24,450	61%
164	La Salle UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$40,026	$41,022	Not reported	$26,000	65%
165	IU NorthwestGary, IN · public	$39,957	$42,813	$56,498	$24,822	62%
166	Georgia Gwinnett CollegeLawrenceville, GA · public	$39,700	$41,228	$58,547	$21,750	55%
167	Ole MissUniversity, MS · public	$39,464	Not adjusted	Not reported	$21,500	54%
168	New Mexico StateLas Cruces, NM · public	$39,442	$42,773	$46,931	$24,225	61%
169	Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and SciencesFayette, MO · private nonprofit	$39,435	$43,422	$54,864	$22,732	58%
170	Belmont UniversityNashville, TN · private nonprofit	$39,325	$42,805	$78,019	$24,000	61%
171	Midway UniversityMidway, KY · private nonprofit	$38,334	$42,518	$58,004	$26,000	68%
172	Morehead StateMorehead, KY · public	$38,301	$42,482	$52,725	$25,903	68%
173	Abraham Baldwin Agricultural CollegeTifton, GA · public	$38,173	$39,643	Not reported	$24,250	64%
174	Medgar Evers CollegeBrooklyn, NY · public	$37,978	$35,191	$58,300	$12,444	33%
175	Columbus StateColumbus, GA · public	$37,852	$39,309	$54,271	$31,000	82%
176	University of Valley ForgePhoenixville, PA · private nonprofit	$37,563	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
177	Saginaw Valley StateUniversity Center, MI · public	$37,424	$38,895	$55,038	$28,000	75%
178	Murray StateMurray, KY · public	$37,285	$41,355	$47,257	$18,200	49%
179	Lamar UniversityBeaumont, TX · public	$37,280	$38,410	$52,497	$29,057	78%
180	Colorado Technical UniversityColorado Springs, CO · private for-profit	$37,212	Not adjusted	$39,864	$51,764	139%
181	Campbellsville UniversityCampbellsville, KY · private nonprofit	$36,749	$40,760	$54,199	$24,675	67%
182	Henderson StateArkadelphia, AR · public	$36,606	$42,106	Not reported	$19,500	53%
183	Randolph CollegeLynchburg, VA · private nonprofit	$35,971	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,000	70%
184	Austin PeayClarksville, TN · public	$35,699	$38,858	$51,396	$28,987	81%
185	Truett McConnell UniversityCleveland, GA · private nonprofit	$35,300	$36,659	$43,481	$22,250	63%
186	Southern Arkansas UniversityMagnolia, AR · public	$34,910	$40,156	$52,348	$22,500	64%
187	Bethel College-North NewtonNorth Newton, KS · private nonprofit	$34,879	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	77%
188	College of Coastal GeorgiaBrunswick, GA · public	$33,940	$35,247	$51,340	$16,000	47%
189	Clayton StateMorrow, GA · public	$33,735	$35,034	$52,452	$41,146	122%
190	Fort Lewis CollegeDurango, CO · public	$33,376	$32,388	$60,396	$20,500	61%
191	UTSASan Antonio, TX · public	$33,366	$34,378	$55,513	Not reported	Not reported
192	Holy Cross CollegeNotre Dame, IN · private nonprofit	$33,043	$35,405	$69,795	$23,586	71%
193	Huntingdon CollegeMontgomery, AL · private nonprofit	$32,446	$36,529	$66,323	$27,000	83%
194	Austin CollegeSherman, TX · private nonprofit	$31,934	$32,902	$70,861	$26,000	81%
195	Transylvania UniversityLexington, KY · private nonprofit	$31,614	$35,065	$74,010	$26,044	82%
196	West Virginia Wesleyan CollegeBuckhannon, WV · private nonprofit	$31,424	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,000	83%
197	Delta StateCleveland, MS · public	$30,953	$35,597	Not reported	$15,000	48%
198	Coker UniversityHartsville, SC · private nonprofit	$30,285	$32,304	$58,611	$27,000	89%
199	Webber International UniversityBabson Park, FL · private nonprofit	$29,923	$28,935	$33,021	$26,000	87%
200	College of Staten IslandStaten Island, NY · public	$29,736	$27,553	$62,693	$11,956	40%
201	Life UniversityMarietta, GA · private nonprofit	$29,618	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,416	93%
202	Central StateWilberforce, OH · public	$29,472	$31,768	$45,357	$31,569	107%
203	Kentucky StateFrankfort, KY · public	$27,013	$29,962	$51,854	$30,750	114%
204	Metropolitan College of New YorkNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$26,372	$24,436	$65,814	$39,500	150%

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 169 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 35, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

12 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. 2 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 (Bachelor's) programs by state

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

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	New York	10	$53,966	$23,000
2	Iowa	5	$51,954	$27,000
3	Massachusetts	8	$50,848	$26,000
4	Michigan	8	$49,986	$26,625
5	Ohio	7	$48,597	$28,813
6	Missouri	9	$47,821	$22,732
7	Indiana	12	$47,406	$24,074
8	California	6	$46,958	$26,310
9	Pennsylvania	7	$45,781	$27,000
10	Wisconsin	8	$45,625	$26,849
11	Florida	6	$45,204	$24,250
12	Illinois	5	$45,015	$26,845
13	Texas	22	$44,911	$24,500
14	Colorado	7	$43,067	$24,000
15	Arkansas	5	$42,892	$23,000
16	Kentucky	14	$41,281	$26,022
17	Georgia	12	$38,937	$24,671

Programs in 22 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

College of Staten Island, NY$11,956
Medgar Evers College, NY$12,444
CUNY Graduate Center, NY$14,500
Baylor University, TX$15,000
College of Coastal Georgia, GA$16,000
Northeastern Illinois University, IL$17,788
Walsh College, MI$18,000
UNT, TX$18,050
UT Tyler, TX$18,125
Murray State, KY$18,200

Lowest debt for the pay

Only the 142 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, 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

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

Management Analysts

$101,860

Median pay in the US. 898,280 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, with about 94,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $60,640Top 10%: $171,640

Sales Managers

$148,270

Median pay in the US. 637,080 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 47,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $73,170Top 10%: $290,540

Common questions

The median business bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $46,707 in their first year and $64,119 five years after.

Business (Associate's) programs in the US, ranked87 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