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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 adjusted 5-year earnings
By SAT median
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | 1,208 | 130,334 | 57% / 43% | 6% | $78,002 |
| Business Administration | 922 | 72,392 | 57% / 43% | 6% | $75,285 |
| Business Management and Administration | 72 | 15,534 | 55% / 45% | 3% | $85,943 |
| General Business | 142 | 13,828 | 59% / 41% | 6% | $72,793 |
| Management | 96 | 9,998 | 56% / 44% | 3% | $88,225 |
| Business | 105 | 4,446 | 59% / 41% | 6% | $71,028 |
| International Business | 298 | 3,878 | 46% / 54% | 17% | $78,824 |
| Business Management | 51 | 1,598 | 55% / 45% | 2% | $75,963 |
| Management Science | 34 | 1,468 | 60% / 40% | 22% | $88,616 |
| Engineering Management | 46 | 1,051 | 79% / 21% | 7% | $87,929 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 20 | 966 | 59% / 41% | 5% | $78,686 |
| Administration | 1 | 726 | 50% / 50% | 7% | $68,845 |
| Integrated Business | 1 | 610 | 61% / 39% | 5% | $81,563 |
| Business Studies | 23 | 548 | 67% / 33% | 4% | $75,336 |
| Applied Economics and Management | 1 | 243 | 55% / 45% | 7% | $121,009 |
| Business Honors | 1 | 223 | 55% / 45% | 1% | $143,656 |
| Strategic Design and Management | 1 | 221 | 17% / 83% | 52% | $80,807 |
| Management Sciences | 13 | 195 | 61% / 39% | 21% | $98,724 |
| Global Business | 2 | 192 | 46% / 54% | 18% | $102,903 |
| Management and Leadership | 2 | 140 | 67% / 33% | 8% | $140,313 |
| Business and Political Economy | 1 | 121 | 67% / 33% | 41% | $94,533 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 10 | 111 | 35% / 65% | 0% | $84,639 |
| Business (Entrepreneurship) | 1 | 110 | 58% / 42% | 5% | |
| General Management | 1 | 106 | 53% / 47% | 9% | $107,242 |
| Business of Beauty and Fragrance | 1 | 100 | 11% / 89% | 20% | |
| Business Communication | 6 | 99 | 36% / 64% | 3% | $69,665 |
| Business and Management | 15 | 95 | 72% / 28% | 13% | $92,492 |
| Consumer Science | 3 | 82 | 27% / 73% | 0% | $61,386 |
| Office Management and Supervision | 3 | 81 | 62% / 38% | 4% | $88,501 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 8 | 78 | 64% / 36% | 0% | $62,080 |
| Engineering and Management | 1 | 75 | 79% / 21% | 0% | $104,059 |
| Economics (Business) | 1 | 73 | 78% / 22% | 14% | $90,098 |
| Supply Chain and Sales Engineering Technology | 1 | 61 | 90% / 10% | 11% | $96,572 |
| Consumer Sciences | 2 | 60 | 53% / 47% | 2% | $65,521 |
| Public Management, Leadership and Policy | 1 | 59 | 36% / 64% | 0% | $75,511 |
| Leadership Studies | 1 | 53 | 30% / 70% | 0% | $81,134 |
| Management and Operations | 1 | 52 | 77% / 23% | 17% | $58,454 |
| Global Management | 1 | 48 | 48% / 52% | 17% | $99,258 |
| Management & Entrepreneurship | 1 | 43 | 65% / 35% | 14% | |
| Applied Business Administration | 4 | 41 | 61% / 39% | 7% | $60,460 |
| Business and Management Systems | 1 | 41 | 68% / 32% | 0% | $72,249 |
| Organizational Supervision | 1 | 41 | 51% / 49% | 0% | $86,102 |
| Funeral Direction/Service | 1 | 38 | 16% / 84% | 0% | |
| Transportation Management | 3 | 36 | 61% / 39% | 6% | $63,242 |
| Applied Engineering | 1 | 32 | 97% / 3% | 0% | |
| Business and Economics | 1 | 31 | 87% / 13% | 0% | $78,741 |
| Business Administration and Operations | 3 | 28 | 57% / 43% | 4% | $75,348 |
| Business and Leadership | 1 | 25 | 88% / 12% | 8% | |
| Operations, Information & Decisions | 1 | 24 | 42% / 58% | 38% | $271,214 |
| Management Engineering | 1 | 22 | 59% / 41% | 14% | |
| Office Administration | 1 | 21 | 19% / 81% | 0% | $64,088 |
| Administrative Management | 1 | 20 | 20% / 80% | 0% | $41,541 |
| Business Informatics | 1 | 20 | 70% / 30% | 10% | $97,743 |
| Consumer Affairs | 2 | 19 | 32% / 68% | 0% | $58,835 |
| Applied Engineering Technology | 4 | 18 | 89% / 11% | 6% | |
| Science/Technology Management | 4 | 15 | 87% / 13% | 0% | $75,117 |
| Industrial Technology Management | 1 | 13 | 85% / 15% | 0% | $64,452 |
| Leadership and Strategic Management | 1 | 12 | 17% / 83% | 0% | |
| Applied Management | 2 | 10 | 90% / 10% | 20% | |
| Office Management | 4 | 9 | 89% / 11% | 11% | $71,333 |
| Applied Engineering Management | 1 | 9 | 78% / 22% | 0% | |
| Management Science (Course 15) | 1 | 9 | 56% / 44% | 0% | |
| Business/Commerce | 4 | 7 | 86% / 14% | 0% | |
| Telecommunications Management | 4 | 7 | 43% / 57% | 0% | |
| Community Leadership | 1 | 5 | 20% / 80% | 0% | |
| Global Business Management | 1 | 3 | 33% / 67% | 33% | |
| International Business/Trade/Commerce | 1 | 3 | 0% / 100% | 0% | |
| Petroleum Land Management | 1 | 3 | 67% / 33% | 0% | |
| Business, Economics, and Management | 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | |
| International Management | 1 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Leadership | 1 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $127,037 |
| Policy and Management | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $179,647 |
| Public Administration and Policy | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $60,901 |