Best Schools for Business Administration, Management and Operations

Business Administration, Management and Operations graduates earn a median of $65,609 within four years of graduating, ranking #108 out of 283 tracked majors — 5% above the median across all fields. There are 1110 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 250,560 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: Carnegie Mellon University graduates earn $160,783 while University of Puerto Rico-Carolina graduates earn $21,492 — a $139,291 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap. Across all fields, though, which major you pick separates earnings more than which college does.

Early career salary growth is modest: Business Administration, Management and Operations graduates see an average 2% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

1110
Schools
$65,609
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#108
of 283 Majors
250,560
Graduates

Public vs Private: Business Administration, Management and Operations

Public (463 schools)
$65,566
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (623 schools)
$67,129
avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $1,563 more in early earnings on average for Business Administration, Management and Operations graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.

Business Administration, Management and Operations by State

Also by state: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Top Business Administration, Management and Operations Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
Carnegie Mellon University logo

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA · Private

$160,783
4yr Earnings
119 grads
2yr: $80,196 (53)
1yr: $78,783 (73)
Acceptance: 11.4%
#2
Johns Hopkins University logo

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD · Private

$147,384
4yr Earnings
17 grads · small sample
Acceptance: 7.6%
#3
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor logo

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI · Public

$144,654
4yr Earnings
551 grads
2yr: $83,177 (264)
1yr: $83,131 (401)
Acceptance: 17.9%
#4
University of California-Berkeley logo

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Public

$144,599
4yr Earnings
203 grads
2yr: $81,456 (179)
1yr: $74,034 (224)
Acceptance: 11.7%
#5
University of Pennsylvania logo

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA · Private

$136,806
4yr Earnings
51 grads
2yr: $67,101 (76)
1yr: $75,634 (72)
Acceptance: 5.9%
#6
Emory University logo

Emory University

Atlanta, GA · Private

$136,731
4yr Earnings
199 grads
2yr: $77,283 (221)
1yr: $72,076 (210)
Acceptance: 11.1%
#7
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill logo

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC · Public

$135,874
4yr Earnings
319 grads
2yr: $73,823 (106)
1yr: $74,938 (319)
Acceptance: 18.7%
#8
Maine Maritime Academy logo

Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME · Public

$123,155
4yr Earnings
29 grads · small sample
2yr: $106,421 (11)
1yr: $71,675 (28)
Acceptance: 61.4%
#9
Boston College logo

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA · Private

$123,144
4yr Earnings
69 grads
2yr: $63,997 (54)
1yr: $66,885 (82)
Acceptance: 15.7%
#10
Washington and Lee University logo

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, VA · Private

$121,699
4yr Earnings
36 grads
2yr: $56,641 (54)
1yr: $56,231 (44)
Acceptance: 17.4%
#11
Georgetown University logo

Georgetown University

Washington, DC · Private

$117,733
4yr Earnings
36 grads
2yr: $69,338 (30)
1yr: $67,676 (53)
Acceptance: 13.1%
#12
Villanova University logo

Villanova University

Villanova, PA · Private

$114,211
4yr Earnings
22 grads · small sample
2yr: $56,811 (17)
1yr: $60,840 (19)
Acceptance: 25.1%
#13
William & Mary logo

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA · Public

$111,366
4yr Earnings
124 grads
2yr: $65,610 (111)
1yr: $66,977 (110)
Acceptance: 32.7%
#14
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo logo

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Public

$110,902
4yr Earnings
555 grads
2yr: $64,328 (45)
1yr: $63,640 (241)
Acceptance: 29.8%
#15
University of Southern California logo

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$109,128
4yr Earnings
639 grads
2yr: $61,303 (712)
1yr: $62,573 (639)
Acceptance: 10.0%
#16
Boston University logo

Boston University

Boston, MA · Private

$108,412
4yr Earnings
563 grads
2yr: $60,597 (502)
1yr: $60,547 (620)
Acceptance: 10.8%
#17
Stevens Institute of Technology logo

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ · Private

$108,400
4yr Earnings
113 grads
2yr: $73,635 (69)
1yr: $69,349 (80)
Acceptance: 43.4%
#18
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign logo

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL · Public

$107,904
4yr Earnings
133 grads
2yr: $63,402 (128)
1yr: $64,736 (133)
Acceptance: 43.7%
#19
Babson College logo

Babson College

Wellesley, MA · Private

$107,520
4yr Earnings
445 grads
2yr: $61,600 (402)
1yr: $61,039 (430)
Acceptance: 19.7%
#20
Southern Methodist University logo

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX · Private

$106,799
4yr Earnings
19 grads · small sample
2yr: $52,198 (18)
Acceptance: 61.2%
#21
Texas Christian University logo

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX · Private

$106,765
4yr Earnings
32 grads
2yr: $71,015 (23)
1yr: $63,621 (34)
Acceptance: 42.6%
#22
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus logo

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Atlanta, GA · Public

$106,155
4yr Earnings
275 grads
2yr: $61,714 (266)
1yr: $61,121 (237)
Acceptance: 16.5%
#23
Brigham Young University logo

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT · Private

$105,544
4yr Earnings
96 grads
2yr: $58,286 (75)
1yr: $63,600 (68)
Acceptance: 69.2%
#24
University of San Francisco logo

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA · Private

$104,390
4yr Earnings
123 grads
2yr: $54,594 (82)
1yr: $61,400 (118)
Acceptance: 50.8%
#25
University of Richmond logo

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA · Private

$103,856
4yr Earnings
154 grads
2yr: $56,544 (138)
1yr: $55,668 (178)
Acceptance: 23.3%
#26
Franklin and Marshall College logo

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, PA · Private

$101,895
4yr Earnings
45 grads
2yr: $52,733 (44)
1yr: $56,518 (42)
Acceptance: 31.8%
#27
University of Wisconsin-Madison logo

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI · Public

$100,005
4yr Earnings
135 grads
2yr: $61,303 (129)
1yr: $53,294 (139)
Acceptance: 43.4%
#28
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute logo

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY · Private

$99,713
4yr Earnings
67 grads
2yr: $65,821 (57)
1yr: $56,988 (66)
Acceptance: 58.5%
#29
Bentley University logo

Bentley University

Waltham, MA · Private

$99,514
4yr Earnings
178 grads
2yr: $53,699 (112)
1yr: $60,797 (130)
Acceptance: 48.4%
#30
Lehigh University logo

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA · Private

$98,481
4yr Earnings
30 grads · small sample
2yr: $60,771 (50)
1yr: $59,794 (22)
Acceptance: 29.3%
#31
Yeshiva University logo

Yeshiva University

New York, NY · Private

$97,914
4yr Earnings
65 grads
2yr: $56,544 (50)
1yr: $51,683 (73)
Acceptance: 63.7%
#32
Wentworth Institute of Technology logo

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA · Private

$97,183
4yr Earnings
23 grads · small sample
2yr: $64,990 (18)
1yr: $68,729 (26)
Acceptance: 85.4%
#33
Edgewood College logo

Edgewood College

Madison, WI · Private

$96,101
4yr Earnings
18 grads · small sample
2yr: $44,091 (18)
1yr: $61,430 (18)
Acceptance: 94.5%
#34
Tulane University of Louisiana logo

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, LA · Private

$95,966
4yr Earnings
75 grads
2yr: $55,625 (90)
1yr: $42,772 (89)
Acceptance: 14.6%
#35
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus logo

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Pittsburgh, PA · Public

$95,917
4yr Earnings
46 grads
2yr: $54,531 (37)
1yr: $56,580 (62)
Acceptance: 49.7%
#36
Miami University-Oxford logo

Miami University-Oxford

Oxford, OH · Public

$95,796
4yr Earnings
89 grads
2yr: $66,461 (100)
1yr: $62,779 (89)
Acceptance: 82.1%
#37
The University of Texas at Austin logo

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX · Public

$94,458
4yr Earnings
100 grads
2yr: $60,025 (74)
1yr: $63,143 (129)
Acceptance: 29.1%
#38
University of Minnesota-Crookston logo

University of Minnesota-Crookston

Crookston, MN · Public

$93,969
4yr Earnings
83 grads
2yr: $56,776 (67)
1yr: $58,238 (76)
Acceptance: 58.4%
#39
Loyola University Maryland logo

Loyola University Maryland

Baltimore, MD · Private

$93,753
4yr Earnings
354 grads
2yr: $55,286 (270)
1yr: $51,941 (361)
Acceptance: 76.3%
#40
Clarkson University logo

Clarkson University

Potsdam, NY · Private

$93,152
4yr Earnings
45 grads
2yr: $55,061 (52)
1yr: $60,400 (43)
Acceptance: 77.2%
#41
University of Massachusetts-Amherst logo

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Amherst, MA · Public

$92,623
4yr Earnings
176 grads
2yr: $52,733 (141)
1yr: $54,919 (256)
Acceptance: 57.8%
#42
Westminster University logo

Westminster University

Salt Lake City, UT · Private

$92,548
4yr Earnings
34 grads
2yr: $46,087 (30)
1yr: $44,683 (22)
Acceptance: 68.8%
#43
University of Dayton logo

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH · Private

$92,317
4yr Earnings
47 grads
2yr: $56,505 (55)
1yr: $55,446 (45)
Acceptance: 61.7%
#44
Saint Louis University logo

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO · Private

$91,483
4yr Earnings
16 grads · small sample
2yr: $48,156 (320)
1yr: $47,366 (137)
Acceptance: 81.5%
#45
Syracuse University logo

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY · Private

$91,472
4yr Earnings
103 grads
2yr: $51,690 (47)
1yr: $60,519 (105)
Acceptance: 41.7%
#46
Golden Gate University logo

Golden Gate University

San Francisco, CA · Private

$91,369
4yr Earnings
105 grads
2yr: $66,941 (93)
1yr: $67,879 (91)
Acceptance: N/A
#47
Pepperdine University logo

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA · Private

$91,227
4yr Earnings
148 grads
2yr: $57,770 (111)
1yr: $53,559 (127)
Acceptance: 49.9%
#48
Michigan State University logo

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI · Public

$91,187
4yr Earnings
507 grads
2yr: $62,654 (403)
1yr: $61,667 (504)
Acceptance: 83.9%
#49
Marist University logo

Marist University

Poughkeepsie, NY · Private

$90,855
4yr Earnings
384 grads
2yr: $51,464 (300)
1yr: $49,869 (357)
Acceptance: 64.7%
#50
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities logo

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN · Public

$90,284
4yr Earnings
102 grads
2yr: $57,564 (65)
1yr: $59,473 (111)
Acceptance: 77.0%

Showing top 50 of 1110 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Business Administration, Management and Operations?
Carnegie Mellon University ranks #1 for Business Administration, Management and Operations with median graduate earnings of $160,783 within four years of graduating. There are 1110 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Business Administration, Management and Operations graduates earn?
Business Administration, Management and Operations graduates earn an average of $65,609 within four years of graduating. This is near the median across all majors. Earnings range from $21,492 to $160,783 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Business Administration, Management and Operations program?
The average acceptance rate across Business Administration, Management and Operations programs is 75.3%. The most selective program is at Northeastern University with a 5.7% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Business Administration, Management and Operations?
Private Business Administration, Management and Operations programs average $67,129 in early earnings vs $65,566 at public schools. Private schools lead in earnings, but cost significantly more — calculate net price before deciding.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders, from the field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release — Scorecard publishes the two separately.

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