UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Business Administration, Management and Operations worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 137 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$49,328 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$49,328Median year-4 earnings
$10,352Average institution net-price context
$14,600Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$49,328Typical earnings four years after completion
$52,405Average earnings five years after completion
$14,600Typical federal student debt
47thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
33,100Degrees awarded in 2024–25
125College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 123 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Business Administration, Management and Operations
How much do Business Administration, Management and Operations undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $49,328 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $14,600. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Business Administration, Management and Operations?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $41,000 to $62,970 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Business Administration, Management and Operations?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,328
- Federal debt
- $14,600
- Programs in the comparison
- 137
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,685
- Federal debt
- $14,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 592
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $64,466
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 1,282
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $140,589
- Federal debt
- $20,114
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $93,369
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 890
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $109,689
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 18
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $166,604
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $88,594
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 42
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $74,472
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 9
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$41,000National median$49,32875th percentile$62,970
125 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
University of Georgia
$111,392 four years after completionAthens, GA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtOwensboro Community and Technical College
$7,246 among completer borrowersOwensboro, KY · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of Phoenix-Arizona
9,457 reported awards in 2024–25Phoenix, AZ · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$89,203Observed year-4 earnings$61,921
University of Georgia$13,936 price · $111,392 earningsPurdue University-Main Campus$14,600 price · $89,788 earningsColumbia Southern University$14,580 price · $89,203 earningsUniversity of Maryland Global Campus$22,063 price · $87,447 earningsUniversity of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus$11,900 price · $82,891 earningsChamplain College$35,860 price · $79,323 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton$17,910 price · $79,292 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver$17,418 price · $79,292 earningsPennsylvania State University-Main Campus$32,875 price · $79,292 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto$19,454 price · $79,292 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington$18,071 price · $79,292 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill$19,659 price · $79,292 earningsPennsylvania State University-World Campus$19,550 price · $79,292 earningsUniversity of Minnesota-Twin Cities$16,778 price · $76,515 earningsArizona State University Campus Immersion$14,967 price · $75,964 earningsColumbus State Community College$8,400 price · $71,615 earningsUniversity of Minnesota-Duluth$18,743 price · $70,868 earningsFerris State University$8,624 price · $70,160 earningsOklahoma State University-Main Campus$17,447 price · $69,992 earningsLaurel Ridge Community College$6,013 price · $69,420 earningsUniversity of Phoenix-Arizona$13,520 price · $68,591 earningsOwensboro Community and Technical College$5,800 price · $68,388 earningsCollege of the Canyons$3,702 price · $66,607 earningsAustin Community College District$6,390 price · $63,975 earningsAmerican Public University System$9,597 price · $63,677 earningsAnne Arundel Community College$14,915 price · $63,253 earningsUniversity of Iowa$22,531 price · $62,970 earningsCerritos College$2,424 price · $61,921 earningsMinnesota State University Moorhead$17,997 price · $59,179 earnings
$3,702Annual college-wide average net price$22,531
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Georgia$111,3922Purdue University-Main Campus$89,7883Columbia Southern University$89,2034University of Maryland Global Campus$87,4475University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus$82,8916Champlain College$79,3237Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton$79,2928Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver$79,2929Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$79,29210Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto$79,292Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →26%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Business Teachers, Postsecondary$99,080 median wage82,150 jobs nationwide+5.9% projected growth through 2035 · 7,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$47,180–$209,470 typical wage rangeManagers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangeIndustrial Production Managers$126,060 median wage246,250 jobs nationwide+2.6% projected growth through 2035 · 17,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$78,000–$205,520 typical wage rangeMedical and Health Services Managers$123,860 median wage597,080 jobs nationwide+24.2% projected growth through 2035 · 62,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$73,390–$224,340 typical wage rangeAdministrative Services Managers$114,130 median wage263,960 jobs nationwide+5.2% projected growth through 2035 · 22,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$67,100–$207,720 typical wage rangeGeneral and Operations Managers$105,770 median wage3,503,020 jobs nationwide+5.0% projected growth through 2035 · 285,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$50,090–$253,390 typical wage rangeNatural Sciences Managers$167,220 median wage108,690 jobs nationwide+8.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,710–$316,850 typical wage rangeTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$107,230 median wage221,180 jobs nationwide+6.1% projected growth through 2035 · 18,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$65,120–$194,900 typical wage rangeFacilities Managers$106,660 median wage156,180 jobs nationwide+4.6% projected growth through 2035 · 14,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$64,480–$176,120 typical wage rangeProject Management Specialists$102,320 median wage1,066,670 jobs nationwide+6.7% projected growth through 2035 · 76,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$61,580–$167,970 typical wage rangeLogisticians$82,320 median wage251,040 jobs nationwide+17.6% projected growth through 2035 · 26,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$50,890–$133,160 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers$69,500 median wage1,436,680 jobs nationwide+0.1% projected growth through 2035 · 127,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$45,610–$104,710 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
NC20 programs$39,601 average earningsTX9 programs$45,695 average earningsKY9 programs$47,779 average earningsPA7 programs$79,292 average earningsAZ7 programs$59,273 average earningsVA6 programs$51,984 average earningsOH6 programs$42,487 average earningsMN6 programs$60,610 average earningsWI5 programs$52,952 average earningsFL5 programs$46,213 average earningsCA5 programs$55,228 average earnings
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.