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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

$54,989
1,139
100–91%
$52,346
2,292
91–80%
$54,911
2,315
80–72%
$58,343
2,360
71–61%
$59,101
2,268
61–39%
$65,267
1,127
39–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$49,848
878
400–1040
$52,873
1,773
1040–1110
$54,991
1,754
1120–1200
$58,817
1,924
1210–1270
$65,783
1,620
1270–1380
$68,377
883
1400–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$44,426p10 $64,624p90 STEM, Business & Military Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Top 61–100 Top 21–60 Top 20 Florida Institute of Technology · $60,124 Menlo College · $52,578 Northwood University · $58,303 Nichols College · $56,144 Michigan Technological University · $61,825 Citadel Military College of South Carolina · $71,232 Alice Lloyd College · $44,322 Hillsdale College · $53,522 Ottawa University - Surprise · $44,567 Illinois Wesleyan University · $56,922 Claflin University · $33,333 Florida Southern College · $51,111 Tabor College · $53,704 Ohio Wesleyan University · $48,398 Adrian College · $54,552 Cumberland University · $66,331 Friends University · $47,032 Lees-McRae College · $47,668 American International College · $52,095 Endicott College · $67,897 Erskine College · $45,790 Belhaven University · $51,011 Berry College · $56,908 Carroll University · $76,200 Crown College · $46,734 Blackburn College · $47,700 Buena Vista University · $55,933 King University · $54,666 Graceland University - Lamoni · $49,721 Ottawa University - Ottawa · $50,315 Piedmont University · $49,727 Kansas Wesleyan University · $58,214 North Central College · $50,713 Huntingdon College · $47,295 Saint Mary's College of California · $57,318 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College · $50,399 Colby-Sawyer College · $47,965 Franklin Pierce University · $51,431 Loras College · $57,526 Pfeiffer University · $46,752 Wittenberg University · $74,869 Augustana University · $59,389 Gustavus Adolphus College · $60,400 Taylor University · $54,793 Lipscomb University · $54,526 Albertus Magnus College · $50,475 Allen University · $40,245 Georgetown College · $42,624 Illinois College · $51,558 Ferrum College · $48,057 Manchester University · $53,781 Rocky Mountain College · $57,670 York College of Pennsylvania · $58,322 Davis & Elkins College · $52,573 Catawba College · $46,505 Huntington University · $49,733 Greenville University · $37,009 Ripon College · $53,767 Roanoke College · $68,539 Flagler College · $47,190 Guilford College · $51,540 Keene State College · $41,286 Nebraska Wesleyan University · $66,943 Wartburg College · $52,996 Schreiner University · $62,849 West Virginia Wesleyan College · $60,937 Linfield University · $95,506 McPherson College · $52,627 Batten University · $49,361 Lenoir-Rhyne University · $54,043 Muskingum University · $48,778 Eureka College · $50,367 Wilmington College · $44,329 Aquinas College · $61,523 Bethel University · $53,500 Clarke University · $45,086 Covenant College · $53,139 Simpson College · $58,530 University of the Northwest (Pacific University) · $53,989 Culver-Stockton College · $51,585 Goshen College · $52,130 Wilson College · $50,415 Barton College · $45,394 Briar Cliff University · $53,496 Eastern Mennonite University · $54,133 Westminster College · $53,919 Hiram College · $53,095 Viterbo University · $54,534 Coker University · $49,970 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor · $57,459 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $67,952 Alabama A&M University · $47,850 Alcorn State University · $46,638 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $66,058 Coppin State University · $40,609 Delaware State University · $46,552 North Carolina A&T State University · $40,355 Fayetteville State University · $44,320 Northern Illinois University · $53,389 University of West Florida · $43,613 University of Connecticut · $69,542 University of South Carolina · $65,749 Tarleton State University · $56,235 University of Minnesota - Crookston · $53,539 State University of New York at Cortland · $58,707 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $55,479 Arkansas State University · $62,786 Southern Arkansas University · $54,815 Texas Southern University · $57,117 University of Central Missouri · $46,324 Winthrop University · $49,997 Kentucky State University · $45,816 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $61,754 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $49,725 Ball State University · $58,579 Central Michigan University · $57,581 Eastern Michigan University · $52,660 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $66,420 James Madison University · $65,728 Texas Tech University · $61,925 SUNY Oneonta · $51,781 Texas State University · $59,248 Eastern Illinois University · $52,579 Louisiana State University · $61,010 University of Alabama · $58,719 University of Delaware · $80,428 University of Tennessee Southern · $41,299 Eastern Connecticut State University · $49,694 Farmingdale State College · $54,347 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford · $44,269 Miami University - Ohio · $62,251 University of Alabama in Huntsville · $51,985 University of West Alabama · $44,280 Bemidji State University · $46,810 Clayton State University · $42,178 University of Louisville · $57,931 University of Wisconsin - Parkside · $72,647 Washington State University · $64,174 University of Houston · $58,464 SUNY Brockport · $48,744 University of Minnesota - Morris · $43,876 Elizabeth City State University · $35,341 University of North Florida · $49,165 East Tennessee State University · $51,553 Eastern Kentucky University · $54,770 Fitchburg State University · $64,392 University of New Hampshire · $48,147 University of Missouri - Saint Louis · $53,348 Coastal Carolina University · $47,711 Mississippi Valley State University · $43,222 Southeast Missouri State University · $51,689 Western Carolina University · $42,206 Kennesaw State University · $52,621 University of Iowa · $68,944 Metropolitan State University of Denver · $50,274 Bowie State University · $51,363 Temple University · $62,690 University of Central Oklahoma · $47,826 Winston-Salem State University · $46,907 Bowling Green State University · $53,825 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania · $52,625 Kent State University at Kent · $60,388 Valley City State University · $53,167 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi · $54,778 Southern Connecticut State University · $47,564 Western Michigan University · $58,221 William Paterson University of New Jersey · $55,453 Wayne State University · $54,513 Framingham State University · $50,571 Morehead State University · $55,764 Indiana University - Kokomo · $53,239 Central Washington University · $39,775 Colorado Mesa University · $49,563 Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania · $51,243 Fort Lewis College · $48,716 Indiana State University · $44,440 Lamar University · $56,754 University of Akron · $49,630 University of Cincinnati · $46,160 University of Maine · $52,331 Wichita State University · $55,284 Ohio University · $64,421 Northern Michigan University · $48,642 Arizona State University · $52,986 Towson University · $57,661 Minot State University · $49,258 University of Nebraska at Kearney · $56,219 George Mason University · $59,694 Georgia Southern University · $59,864 Radford University · $51,007 University of North Alabama · $54,962 SUNY at Fredonia · $48,565 Old Dominion University · $51,522 Southeastern Louisiana University · $50,971 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $44,642 North Dakota State University · $65,381 Plymouth State University · $52,210 Millersville University of Pennsylvania · $51,139 University of Southern Mississippi · $54,935 University of Kansas · $81,682 Grand Valley State University · $52,720 Salem State University · $50,352 University of Memphis · $54,290 Pennsylvania Western University · $46,047 University of Southern Indiana · $55,921 Lewis-Clark State College · $47,304 Marshall University · $65,174 Black Hills State University · $49,341 Sam Houston State University · $59,205 Missouri Southern State University · $49,403 Middle Georgia State University · $50,056 Mayville State University · $55,238 Shawnee State University · $62,085 Southwestern Oklahoma State University · $49,977 Wayne State College · $47,761 Fairfield University · $64,624 Ohio Christian University · $44,383 Union University · $52,871 Johnson C. Smith University · $33,340 Columbia International University · $44,465 Liberty University · $48,947 Livingstone College · $38,325 Belmont Abbey College · $45,237 Madonna University · $51,026 William Peace University · $49,512 Mississippi Christian University · $58,121 Warner University · $52,192 LeTourneau University · $58,434 Ohio Dominican University · $54,760 Oklahoma Wesleyan University · $56,725 Quincy University · $44,773 Newberry College · $38,811 Southern Wesleyan University · $38,875 Alvernia University · $57,405 Asbury University · $44,451 California Lutheran University · $50,548 William Penn University · $48,439 Emmanuel University · $50,195 High Point University · $57,282 Spring Arbor University · $50,726 University of Dayton · $72,649 Olivet Nazarene University · $47,143 Southeastern University · $45,240 Bellarmine University · $51,966 Cedarville University · $46,004 Defiance College · $50,376 Harding University · $72,109 Messiah University · $36,395 Missouri Baptist University · $55,208 Toccoa Falls College · $45,942 Mount St. Joseph University · $58,282 Central Baptist College · $50,500 Evangel University · $55,982 Midland University · $54,544 Cairn University - Langhorne · $46,988 Campbellsville University · $54,591 East Texas Baptist University · $63,059 Faulkner University · $51,958 MidAmerica Nazarene University · $54,056 St. John Fisher University · $54,934 Kentucky Wesleyan College · $46,867 Mount Marty University · $51,851 Bluffton University · $52,097 Arcadia University · $51,464 Ashland University · $51,860 Averett University · $41,212 Barry University · $45,110 College of Our Lady of the Elms · $53,006 Concordia University - Saint Paul · $46,618 William Woods University · $51,966 Bushnell University · $51,602 Concordia University Wisconsin · $55,937 Ohio Northern University · $47,344 Seton Hall University · $66,060 Pepperdine University · $61,910 North Greenville University · $47,191 Reinhardt University · $47,859 Elmhurst University · $63,128 Lewis University · $61,211 Saint Leo University · $50,715 Lee University · $48,947 Baker University · $55,770 Caldwell University · $49,176 Hilbert College · $47,912 John Carroll University · $66,689 Mount Saint Mary College · $52,879 Niagara University · $52,073 Regis College · $42,830 Saint Peter's University · $37,475 St. Ambrose University · $59,315 St. Thomas Aquinas College · $55,100 Marian University · $67,871 Saint Vincent College · $53,139 Emmanuel College · $55,556 Ouachita Baptist University · $59,270 Saint Elizabeth University · $49,927 Seton Hill University · $46,081 Shenandoah University · $63,365 Southern Adventist University · $64,830 Millikin University · $44,300 Saint Louis University · $82,482 Baldwin Wallace University · $48,365 University of Dubuque · $47,453 University of Jamestown · $72,488 Warner Pacific University · $44,076 Holy Family University · $45,338 Tusculum University · $44,320 DeSales University · $67,323 McKendree University · $52,279 McMurry University · $60,267 Midway University · $50,804 St. Bonaventure University · $50,484 Trevecca Nazarene University · $50,357 University of Indianapolis · $62,850 University of Saint Joseph · $54,711 Malone University · $50,688 The Master's University and Seminary · $34,316 Carson-Newman University · $52,324 Gardner-Webb University · $57,758 Geneva College · $50,579 Methodist University · $43,426 University of Mary · $55,949 Gonzaga University · $47,795 Immaculata University · $61,121 Lakeland University · $43,752 University of Mount Union · $58,575 Walsh University · $68,594 Maranatha Baptist University · $47,893 North Carolina Wesleyan University · $48,813 Canisius University · $56,162 Concordia University - Irvine · $58,699 Saint Joseph's College of Maine · $50,207 Shorter University · $53,515 University of Saint Mary · $46,311 Wayland Baptist University · $51,334 Mount St. Mary's University · $51,402 Wagner College · $58,770 University of Northwestern - St Paul · $63,063 Grace College and Theological Seminary · $43,026 Otterbein University · $57,252 University of Mount Olive · $41,788 Neumann University · $45,396 Rivier University · $49,562 Samford University · $53,700 Xavier University · $56,111 Houston Christian University · $44,877 Oral Roberts University · $56,738 Saint Xavier University · $52,458 St. John's University - New York · $48,976 University of the Cumberlands · $41,330 Wingate University · $57,736 Central Christian College of Kansas · $53,443 Benedict College · $40,661 Heidelberg University · $58,751 Campbell University · $58,085 Emory & Henry University · $48,556 Mount Vernon Nazarene University · $50,220 Concordia University - Chicago · $50,313 Northwest Nazarene University · $48,973 Freed-Hardeman University · $61,749 Misericordia University · $42,503 University of Olivet · $46,524 University of Pikeville · $48,497 Valparaiso University · $60,698 Cornerstone University · $45,024 Indiana Wesleyan University · $51,083 Belmont University · $52,070 Dallas Baptist University · $51,822 North Central University · $48,700 University of the Incarnate Word · $54,055 Hardin-Simmons University · $59,059 Lubbock Christian University · $48,317 Southwest Baptist University · $51,250 Thomas More University · $54,961 Oklahoma Christian University · $56,193 University of Lynchburg · $52,746 Wisconsin Lutheran College · $72,408 Rochester University · $44,525 Blue Mountain Christian University · $51,255 Grand View University · $59,199 Southern Nazarene University · $53,382 University of Tampa · $56,114 Syracuse University · $68,756 Lindenwood University · $54,411 Quinnipiac University · $57,084 University of Charleston · $52,499 Hampton University · $51,037 Goldey-Beacom College · $49,885 Adelphi University · $61,862 Elon University · $66,471 Westminster University · $51,300 Webber International University · $40,535 Lake Erie College · $47,102 Springfield College · $58,682 Marietta College · $54,553 Trine University · $58,496 Drexel University · $73,556 Curry College · $52,474 Tiffin University · $60,774 Aurora University · $48,208 Lasell University · $48,667 Husson University · $55,258 Lynn University · $37,024 University of Bridgeport · $56,024 Davenport University · $51,656 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham · $51,271 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus · $51,271 Long Island University · $44,426 Utica University · $51,789 Western New England University · $53,199 University of New England · $68,625 Maryville University of Saint Louis · $49,963 Nova Southeastern University · $33,462 Thomas College · $50,310 Bellevue University · $58,965 University of Rio Grande · $51,112 University of Miami · $73,269 University of Georgia · $68,892 Texas A&M University - College Station · $71,176 North Carolina State University · $75,210 Ohio State University · $57,037 Florida State University · $54,614 Southern Methodist University · $80,039 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $73,308 University of Florida · $57,007 University of Texas at Austin · $68,205 Rice University · $72,932 STEM, Business & Military: mean $60,034 Liberal Arts: mean $53,205 Public University: mean $53,691 Religious University: mean $52,340 Private University: mean $53,623 Top 61–100: mean $68,605 Top 21–60: mean $66,173 Top 20: mean $72,932 All colleges: p10 $44,426 All colleges: p90 $64,624
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Sports & Entertainment Business 459 11,623 74% / 26% 4% $53,842 97%
Sport Management 169 5,747 73% / 27% 4% $54,633 96%
Sports Management 275 5,281 77% / 23% 5% $52,801 97%
Sport Industry 1 178 78% / 22% 6% $57,037 98%
Sport and Fitness Management 11 165 68% / 32% 2% $53,771 98%
Artist Management 1 88 26% / 74% 1% $53,110 94%
Entertainment Industry Studies 1 77 27% / 73% 0% $53,110 94%
Sport Analytics 1 39 67% / 33% 15% $72,932 96%
Sports, Media and Entertainment Management 1 17 35% / 65% 12% $52,908
Sport and Recreation Management 2 16 75% / 25% 6% $42,656 85%
Sports Business 1 10 80% / 20% 0% $52,986 94%
Professional Golf Management 1 5 100% / 0% 0% $47,826