DegreeVerdict
ROI Calculator
Home›Majors›Business Administration, Management and Operations
ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a associate's degree in Business Administration, Management and Operations worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 592 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$75,621 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

30.5 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−67%Estimated return after 10 years
$48,685Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$48,685 observed annual earnings · 2 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$48,685Typical earnings four years after completion
$44,653Average earnings five years after completion
$14,000Typical federal student debt
51thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
5Degrees awarded in 2024–25
578College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 3 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Business Administration, Management and Operations

How much do Business Administration, Management and Operations associate's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $48,685 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $14,000. 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 $41,613 to $54,182 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.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

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.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$49,328
Federal debt
$14,600
Programs in the comparison
137
125 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$48,685
Federal debt
$14,000
Programs in the comparison
592
578 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$64,466
Federal debt
$26,000
Programs in the comparison
1,282
1,253 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$140,589
Federal debt
$20,114
Programs in the comparison
5
3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$93,369
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
890
890 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$109,689
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
18
18 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings
$166,604
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
5
5 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$88,594
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
42
42 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$74,472
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
9
9 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$41,613National median$48,68575th percentile$54,182
578 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$54,18275th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$14,000Median federal debt across programs that report it
46Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
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

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach

$85,869 four years after completionDaytona Beach, FL · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

San Diego Miramar College

$5,500 among completer borrowersSan Diego, CA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

De Anza College

362 reported awards in 2024–25Cupertino, CA · 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.

$78,284Observed year-4 earnings$62,991
$2,288Annual college-wide average net price$27,232
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

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 →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach$85,8692Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide$85,8693William Rainey Harper College$78,2844Utah Valley University$77,7405San Jose City College$76,0946Thomas More University$75,6897De Anza College$75,2978Albertus Magnus College$74,8619Northwood University$74,82210Cañada College$73,129

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

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

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.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Associate's Degree

Accounting and Related Services

Year-4 earnings
$49,138
Federal debt
$19,254
250 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Business/Commerce, General

Year-4 earnings
$52,628
Federal debt
$17,500
223 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Business Operations Support and Assistant Services

Year-4 earnings
$37,383
Federal debt
$20,000
73 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Hospitality Administration/Management

Year-4 earnings
$40,788
Federal debt
$17,450
36 reporting programs →
EXPLORE BY STATE

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.

CA68 programs$54,729 average earningsNY44 programs$47,226 average earningsOH34 programs$50,895 average earningsNC32 programs$40,400 average earningsTX29 programs$45,492 average earningsFL26 programs$49,712 average earningsPA23 programs$47,315 average earningsMI21 programs$49,805 average earningsWI20 programs$48,910 average earningsGA18 programs$42,554 average earningsMN17 programs$51,413 average earningsVA14 programs$47,984 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.