Business/Commerce, General
Offered at 1,219 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 185 | $44,653 | $53,570 | $17,913 |
| Associate | 466 | $40,888 | $54,480 | $16,279 |
| Bachelor's | 387 | $52,236 | $68,820 | $24,937 |
| Post-bacc certificate | 2 | — | — | — |
| Master's | 122 | $84,133 | $109,663 | — |
| Doctoral | 23 | — | — | — |
| Professional | 2 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 32 | $75,796 | — | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
One year after finishing, a typical certificate program in this field reports median earnings of $44,653, versus $52,236 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $78,454 | $114,956 | $19,500 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | WI | $79,473 | $109,843 | — |
| 3 | University of Delaware | DE | $75,156 | — | $25,000 |
| 4 | Boise State University | ID | $50,107 | $69,648 | $22,412 |
| 5 | Virginia Commonwealth University | VA | — | $64,712 | $14,500 |
| 6 | Cabrillo College | CA | — | $64,687 | — |
| 7 | CUNY Hunter College | NY | $61,311 | — | — |
| 8 | University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | $56,327 | — | $18,396 |
| 9 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | IN | $43,241 | $53,570 | $19,211 |
| 10 | Butler County Community College | PA | — | $52,123 | — |
| 11 | West Virginia University at Parkersburg | WV | — | $48,295 | $17,928 |
| 12 | DeVry University-California | CA | $46,065 | — | $19,100 |
| 13 | DeVry University-Florida | FL | $46,065 | — | $19,100 |
| 14 | DeVry University-Illinois | IL | $46,065 | — | $19,100 |
| 15 | DeVry University-Ohio | OH | $46,065 | — | $19,100 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas More University | KY | — | $87,590 | — |
| 2 | Anne Arundel Community College | MD | $45,904 | $77,025 | $8,635 |
| 3 | Cascadia College | WA | — | $73,874 | — |
| 4 | Prince George's Community College | MD | $46,585 | $73,104 | $14,250 |
| 5 | Montgomery College | MD | $30,965 | $70,839 | $7,711 |
| 6 | Empire State University | NY | $58,988 | $69,264 | $24,149 |
| 7 | Salt Lake Community College | UT | $51,811 | $68,401 | $8,250 |
| 8 | Edmonds College | WA | — | $68,281 | — |
| 9 | Green River College | WA | — | $68,113 | — |
| 10 | Spokane Falls Community College | WA | — | $68,103 | $6,075 |
| 11 | Coastline Community College | CA | — | $67,263 | — |
| 12 | Grand Rapids Community College | MI | $43,774 | $66,900 | $11,000 |
| 13 | Champlain College | VT | — | $66,035 | — |
| 14 | Seattle Central College | WA | — | $65,904 | — |
| 15 | College of Southern Maryland | MD | $43,762 | $65,525 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wake Forest University | NC | $81,480 | $147,633 | $19,500 |
| 2 | New York University | NY | $85,326 | $145,733 | $17,028 |
| 3 | Brandeis University | MA | $82,101 | $124,140 | $17,495 |
| 4 | Northeastern University Oakland | CA | $83,604 | $123,077 | $19,500 |
| 5 | Northeastern University | MA | $83,604 | $123,077 | $19,500 |
| 6 | University of Denver | CO | $57,171 | $119,184 | $18,250 |
| 7 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $76,574 | $118,983 | $19,000 |
| 8 | University of Rochester | NY | — | $113,722 | — |
| 9 | Skidmore College | NY | $65,869 | $110,192 | $24,637 |
| 10 | Concordia University Texas | TX | $50,844 | $109,113 | — |
| 11 | George Washington University | DC | — | $103,835 | — |
| 12 | Baylor University | TX | $75,807 | $102,855 | $12,000 |
| 13 | Saint Anselm College | NH | $60,862 | $100,951 | $27,000 |
| 14 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | — | $99,333 | — |
| 15 | Lehigh University | PA | $70,545 | $98,798 | $19,500 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning post-bacc certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | $100,934 | $152,766 | $21,554 |
| 2 | University of Miami | FL | — | $104,472 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | — | $287,547 | — |
| 2 | Northwestern University | IL | $191,505 | $250,104 | — |
| 3 | Emory University | GA | $182,728 | $191,599 | — |
| 4 | Michigan State University | MI | $142,037 | $180,566 | — |
| 5 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | VA | $190,620 | $178,834 | — |
| 6 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $150,326 | $178,038 | — |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | $141,050 | $174,641 | — |
| 8 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $142,151 | $173,815 | — |
| 9 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | IN | $121,712 | $169,533 | — |
| 10 | Loyola Marymount University | CA | $106,872 | $155,321 | — |
| 11 | Northeastern University | MA | $129,571 | $153,817 | — |
| 12 | Northeastern University Professional Programs | MA | $129,571 | $153,817 | — |
| 13 | University of Maryland-College Park | MD | — | $151,599 | — |
| 14 | Drexel University | PA | $113,962 | $144,528 | — |
| 15 | University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | $105,934 | $142,356 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Maryland Global Campus | MD | $119,233 | — | — |
| 2 | Capella University | MN | — | $108,987 | — |
| 3 | Georgia State University | GA | $108,513 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning professional programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $76,840 | $118,007 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning graduate certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $129,439 | $147,813 | — |
| 2 | University of Kansas | KS | — | $123,259 | — |
| 3 | Clarkson University | NY | $75,796 | — | — |
| 4 | Valparaiso University | IN | $73,018 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Quick answers
- How much do business/commerce, general graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in business/commerce, general reports median earnings of $52,236. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
