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Sports & Entertainment Business

What you'll do in college

These majors focus on the glitz, glam, and grueling logistics of sports, entertainment, and media. You'll dive deep into general business principles while mastering the unique nuances of talent management, sports law, ticketing, and event production. Internships are the lifeblood of these programs—you'll likely spend your summers hustling at sports agencies, record labels, or team front offices.

What you'll do after college

Grads typically start at the bottom of highly competitive industries—think the mailroom at a talent agency, ticket sales for a minor league team, or early-morning event coordination. Promotion paths are largely built on relentless networking, grit, and long hours during peak seasons. The payoff? Modest early salaries often lead to glamorous, highly lucrative careers for those who survive the initial grind.

Famous graduates

  • Sean McVay — Youngest Super Bowl-winning Head Coach in NFL history; B.S. in Health and Sports Studies from Miami University
  • Rob Pelinka — General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers; B.B.A. with a sports management focus from the University of Michigan

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$59,699
882
100–82%
$55,849
1,761
80–70%
$58,845
1,799
70–55%
$57,712
1,733
55–55%
$60,169
1,749
55–40%
$66,388
895
35–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings

By SAT median

$54,379
701
400–1050
$54,473
1,407
1050–1130
$56,446
1,393
1130–1230
$61,845
1,441
1230–1270
$65,668
1,342
1280–1400
$70,213
723
1400–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$0 $50,000 $100,000 #1 #25 #50 #100 #250 #750 #1259 Selectivity rank (1 = most selective) Military & Arts #1034 · $62,085 #949 · $51,119 #703 · $58,837 #893 · $46,201 #1049 · $51,591 #991 · $70,308 #358 · $55,096 #1103 · $76,161 #866 · $52,210 #816 · $64,797 #1149 · $45,411 #326 · $67,522 #596 · $51,303 #622 · $51,502 #879 · $68,797 #1058 · $43,066 #959 · $52,644 #348 · $42,295 #732 · $43,112 #576 · $40,704 #472 · $56,924 #683 · $48,115 #669 · $57,154 #28 · $61,025 #692 · $40,915 #304 · $49,929 #992 · $66,013 #672 · $51,954 #743 · $50,376 #981 · $50,551 #1118 · $48,132 #376 · $60,042 #643 · $52,982 #787 · $50,570 #267 · $47,823 #603 · $56,094 #987 · $67,800 #1008 · $55,520 #604 · $59,381 #574 · $53,869 #528 · $48,977 #106 · $76,846 #1173 · $46,900 #782 · $57,818 #278 · $57,314 #759 · $54,319 #883 · $57,763 #261 · $63,316 #231 · $75,658 #1181 · $41,218 #774 · $39,198 #685 · $56,360 #598 · $53,274 #621 · $52,203 #527 · $62,674 #1129 · $47,109 #494 · $46,729 #550 · $66,069 #300 · $58,633 #916 · $46,459 #1195 · $58,705 #370 · $55,679 #758 · $55,764 #526 · $56,765 #927 · $54,995 #618 · $57,840 #1101 · $62,366 #1240 · $53,689 #554 · $67,535 #542 · $67,707 #635 · $44,748 #779 · $51,000 #1113 · $55,470 #688 · $63,270 #1087 · $52,109 #1228 · $43,318 #467 · $53,870 #844 · $52,267 #910 · $56,368 #353 · $50,382 #840 · $56,779 #306 · $55,275 #45 · $54,446 #947 · $50,471 #1179 · $60,878 #1226 · $52,218 #1220 · $64,695 #210 · $56,093 #651 · $52,116 #636 · $48,038 #747 · $67,205 #1035 · $51,966 #799 · $54,848 #764 · $49,664 #680 · $71,372 #936 · $74,843 #27 · $71,700 #471 · $44,393 #625 · $49,621 #181 · $84,765 #390 · $61,249 #581 · $47,346 #409 · $67,139 #644 · $55,108 #887 · $52,474 #309 · $41,330 #894 · $46,049 #1155 · $36,989 #1071 · $62,007 #173 · $52,621 #954 · $64,300 #1169 · $41,231 #888 · $55,123 #795 · $47,705 #367 · $53,881 #1147 · $54,081 #1055 · $42,330 #862 · $56,172 #115 · $63,483 #321 · $63,485 #445 · $60,206 #1064 · $43,272 #420 · $81,792 #481 · $51,678 #1024 · $56,827 #845 · $55,846 #1203 · $53,777 #984 · $54,616 #1223 · $53,443 #347 · $59,267 #426 · $49,996 #1164 · $53,186 #237 · $75,248 #525 · $58,214 #428 · $44,322 #1096 · $57,945 #500 · $35,095 #810 · $52,112 #744 · $48,298 #327 · $33,942 #436 · $51,988 #552 · $58,650 #1198 · $47,395 #166 · $57,376 #1114 · $48,653 #130 · $69,202 #335 · $60,472 #1075 · $50,962 #268 · $59,048 #317 · $61,221 #319 · $73,565 #813 · $65,179 #1080 · $55,425 #414 · $47,867 #901 · $56,685 #801 · $67,531 #1001 · $52,202 #614 · $43,059 #244 · $64,821 #1077 · $54,926 #1145 · $58,091 #194 · $65,583 #1135 · $47,142 #487 · $60,038 #814 · $55,858 #694 · $48,904 #299 · $61,171 #897 · $45,744 #255 · $62,569 #851 · $55,036 #1152 · $58,798 #740 · $61,744 #135 · $64,772 #59 · $77,962 #14 · $73,800 #1068 · $53,946 #118 · $82,626 #264 · $37,067 #1028 · $46,693 #867 · $57,975 #745 · $43,509 #97 · $65,829 #807 · $59,439 #900 · $54,820 #1234 · $51,286 #699 · $61,670 #44 · $65,793 #275 · $65,018 #752 · $63,129 #230 · $56,585 #760 · $49,962 #290 · $45,897 #1186 · $57,203 #493 · $50,290 #1154 · $48,642 #1106 · $49,926 #511 · $60,613 #922 · $50,827 #1119 · $43,063 #724 · $42,729 #720 · $34,190 #1116 · $54,220 #627 · $53,363 #1052 · $56,219 #1248 · $59,639 #955 · $57,796 #767 · $54,869 #650 · $59,010 #656 · $61,324 #443 · $51,346 #262 · $48,097 #695 · $52,378 #263 · $59,270 #430 · $60,887 #837 · $60,666 #1130 · $57,754 #30 · $76,574 #1167 · $48,740 #998 · $54,469 #1014 · $45,914 #875 · $52,109 #1083 · $50,163 #682 · $62,867 #885 · $55,561 #960 · $67,552 #971 · $39,588 #120 · $59,634 #202 · $73,089 #957 · $63,543 #204 · $58,805 #1076 · $49,074 #458 · $44,912 #482 · $34,439 #665 · $59,001 #311 · $67,156 #301 · $46,375 #223 · $49,690 #117 · $65,415 #852 · $48,871 #1117 · $53,497 #101 · $64,848 #963 · $52,336 #725 · $57,217 #546 · $51,150 #763 · $78,762 #1199 · $37,005 #869 · $53,378 #1025 · $52,529 #821 · $54,039 #1012 · $61,302 #919 · $60,355 #313 · $58,860 #176 · $48,567 #1142 · $53,966 #945 · $49,839 #909 · $64,833 #99 · $64,647 #473 · $44,648 #806 · $43,988 #444 · $61,966 #209 · $59,188 #424 · $59,386 #824 · $53,013 #738 · $37,685 #654 · $49,957 #811 · $94,950 #846 · $70,979 #435 · $53,467 #895 · $46,165 #258 · $81,872 #742 · $59,821 #642 · $48,099 #1093 · $64,838 #754 · $51,854 #1191 · $55,537 #1065 · $62,712 Military & Arts #7 · $71,540 #1–#25: median $73,800 #26–#50: median $65,793 #51–#100: median $65,829 #101–#250: median $64,796 #251–#750: median $54,488 #751–#1259: median $53,966 Military & Arts: median $71,540
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
Sports & Entertainment Business 458 10,778 75% / 25% 4% $56,036
Sports Management 269 5,293 78% / 22% 4% $54,844
Sport Management 172 5,060 75% / 25% 4% $57,275
Sport Industry 1 149 73% / 27% 5% $59,634
Entertainment Industry Studies 1 92 16% / 84% 0% $54,063
Artist Management 1 88 22% / 78% 1% $54,063
Sport Analytics 1 24 67% / 33% 21% $73,800
Sport and Recreation Management 2 21 52% / 48% 14% $35,095
Sport and Fitness Management 13 19 74% / 26% 11% $51,150
Sports, Media and Entertainment Management 1 16 44% / 56% 6%
Sports Business 1 13 92% / 8% 8% $53,363
Professional Golf Management 1 3 67% / 33% 0%