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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a associate's degree in Business/Commerce, General worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 223 college programs with reportable data.

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

−$37,337 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.

14.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−33%Estimated return after 10 years
$52,628Observed 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$52,628 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

$52,628Typical earnings four years after completion
$48,456Average earnings five years after completion
$17,500Typical federal student debt
60thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
219College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Business/Commerce, General

How much do Business/Commerce, General associate's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $52,628 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 $17,500. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Business/Commerce, General?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $44,242 to $59,021 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Business/Commerce, General?

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
$43,651
Federal debt
$14,094
Programs in the comparison
26
18 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$52,628
Federal debt
$17,500
Programs in the comparison
223
219 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$65,292
Federal debt
$26,290
Programs in the comparison
293
282 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$134,050
Federal debt
$15,725
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$106,812
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
77
77 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$107,902
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings
$92,953
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$113,127
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
3
3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$51,817
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
3
3 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$44,242National median$52,62875th percentile$59,021
219 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$59,02175th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$17,500Median federal debt across programs that report it
17Programs 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

Thomas More University

$83,959 four years after completionCrestview Hills, KY · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

College of Southern Maryland

$5,500 among completer borrowersLa Plata, MD · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

DeVry University-Illinois

480 reported awards in 2024–25Lisle, IL · 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.

$70,296Observed year-4 earnings$61,596
$6,778Annual college-wide average net price$30,770
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.

1Thomas More University$83,9592Northern Kentucky University$72,3233Champlain College$70,2964Cascadia College$70,1115Montgomery College$69,4856Raritan Valley Community College$67,1837Truckee Meadows Community College$65,7328Tacoma Community College$65,1309NorthWest Arkansas Community College$64,77810Green River College$64,756

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.

Chief Executives$213,990 median wage204,350 jobs nationwide+3.2% projected growth through 2035 · 19,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$75,700–$507,730 typical wage rangeSales Managers$148,270 median wage637,080 jobs nationwide+4.5% projected growth through 2035 · 47,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$73,170–$290,540 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 rangeConstruction Managers$114,990 median wage380,360 jobs nationwide+9.1% projected growth through 2035 · 49,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$69,690–$189,440 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 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 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 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 rangeManagement Analysts$101,860 median wage898,280 jobs nationwide+10.1% projected growth through 2035 · 94,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$60,640–$171,640 typical wage rangeBusiness 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 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

Business Administration, Management and Operations

Year-4 earnings
$48,685
Federal debt
$14,000
592 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Accounting and Related Services

Year-4 earnings
$49,138
Federal debt
$19,254
250 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.

PA29 programs$57,501 average earningsTX22 programs$48,424 average earningsWA12 programs$58,387 average earningsMD12 programs$56,020 average earningsOH10 programs$47,482 average earningsAR9 programs$45,609 average earningsWV7 programs$44,798 average earningsNY7 programs$47,013 average earningsLA7 programs$41,385 average earningsCA7 programs$50,445 average earningsMN6 programs$53,223 average earningsMI6 programs$53,963 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.