Business/Managerial Economics: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 96 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$81,707 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
7.6 yrsModeled economic break-even
+32%Modeled 10-year ROI
$78,906Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$78,906Median reported earnings · year 4
$83,548Average reported earnings · year 5
$21,963Median federal debt
73thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
96Reporting programs
85With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $72,971
- Federal debt
- $21,367
- Reporting programs
- 1
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $76,881
- Federal debt
- $13,500
- Reporting programs
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $78,906
- Federal debt
- $21,963
- Reporting programs
- 96
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $112,577
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
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$68,757National median$78,90675th percentile$86,894
85 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Washington University in St Louis$162,3552University of California, Los Angeles$129,4253Villanova University$123,6144Brigham Young University$117,0155University of Miami$116,3676Union College$114,0647Lehigh University$113,6308Bentley University$108,8869Seattle University$102,24910Miami University-Oxford$101,674Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Economics Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1063 · 1 crosswalk linksEconomistsSOC 19-3011 · 1 crosswalk linksFinancial Risk SpecialistsSOC 13-2054 · 1 crosswalk linksManagement AnalystsSOC 13-1111 · 1 crosswalk linksSurvey ResearchersSOC 19-3022 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington University in St LouisBachelor's Degree | St. Louis, MO | $162,355 | Not available | +339% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | University of California, Los AngelesBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $129,425 | $17,332 | +267% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Villanova UniversityBachelor's Degree | Villanova, PA | $123,614 | $27,000 | +121% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Brigham Young UniversityBachelor's Degree | Provo, UT | $117,015 | Not available | +197% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | University of MiamiBachelor's Degree | Coral Gables, FL | $116,367 | $15,625 | +117% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Union CollegeBachelor's Degree | Schenectady, NY | $114,064 | Not available | +117% | Strong payoff |
| 7 | Lehigh UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bethlehem, PA | $113,630 | $23,240 | +109% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Bentley UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waltham, MA | $108,886 | $27,000 | +93% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | Seattle UniversityBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $102,249 | Not available | +80% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | Miami University-OxfordBachelor's Degree | Oxford, OH | $101,674 | $24,000 | +93% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | University of ArkansasBachelor's Degree | Fayetteville, AR | $97,743 | $19,500 | +109% | Strong payoff |
| 12 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $96,843 | $19,500 | +108% | Strong payoff |
| 13 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $95,271 | Not available | +80% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | University of South Carolina-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, SC | $94,547 | $25,000 | +83% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | DePaul UniversityBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $93,563 | $21,666 | +60% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | Iowa State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ames, IA | $93,379 | Not available | +90% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | Seton Hall UniversityBachelor's Degree | South Orange, NJ | $92,079 | $21,522 | +54% | Positive payoff |
| 18 | Salisbury UniversityBachelor's Degree | Salisbury, MD | $91,642 | Not available | +86% | Positive payoff |
| 19 | University of ArizonaBachelor's Degree | Tucson, AZ | $90,045 | $21,375 | +83% | Positive payoff |
| 20 | Hampden-Sydney CollegeBachelor's Degree | Hampden-Sydney, VA | $87,835 | $26,970 | +59% | Positive payoff |
| 21 | University of California, DavisBachelor's Degree | Davis, CA | $87,455 | $13,000 | +78% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | Georgia College & State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Milledgeville, GA | $86,894 | Not available | +59% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | The University of AlabamaBachelor's Degree | Tuscaloosa, AL | $86,114 | $21,675 | +52% | Positive payoff |
| 24 | Chapman UniversityBachelor's Degree | Orange, CA | $84,978 | $22,977 | +9% | Positive payoff |
| 25 | Westmont CollegeBachelor's Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | $84,815 | $25,000 | +34% | Positive payoff |
| 26 | Baylor UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waco, TX | $84,808 | $22,500 | +16% | Positive payoff |
| 27 | Georgia State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $84,681 | $19,500 | +63% | Positive payoff |
| 28 | University of GeorgiaBachelor's Degree | Athens, GA | $84,675 | $22,419 | +68% | Positive payoff |
| 29 | Capital UniversityBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $84,669 | Not available | +47% | Positive payoff |
| 30 | Beloit CollegeBachelor's Degree | Beloit, WI | $84,668 | $27,000 | +49% | Positive payoff |
| 31 | University of DaytonBachelor's Degree | Dayton, OH | $84,595 | $24,548 | +33% | Positive payoff |
| 32 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $84,280 | $12,000 | +104% | Strong payoff |
| 33 | University of Nebraska-LincolnBachelor's Degree | Lincoln, NE | $83,175 | $20,000 | +52% | Positive payoff |
| 34 | North Carolina State University at RaleighBachelor's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $82,096 | $23,250 | +49% | Positive payoff |
| 35 | University of California, Santa CruzBachelor's Degree | Santa Cruz, CA | $82,064 | $16,500 | +47% | Positive payoff |
| 36 | Marquette UniversityBachelor's Degree | Milwaukee, WI | $81,897 | $24,500 | +21% | Positive payoff |
| 37 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBachelor's Degree | Baton Rouge, LA | $81,799 | $22,374 | +43% | Positive payoff |
| 38 | The University of Texas at ArlingtonBachelor's Degree | Arlington, TX | $80,711 | $16,063 | +51% | Positive payoff |
| 39 | Saint Louis UniversityBachelor's Degree | Saint Louis, MO | $80,588 | $24,000 | +28% | Positive payoff |
| 40 | The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleBachelor's Degree | Knoxville, TN | $80,415 | $23,847 | +38% | Positive payoff |
| 41 | Wheaton CollegeBachelor's Degree | Wheaton, IL | $80,258 | $24,000 | +22% | Positive payoff |
| 42 | Xavier UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $80,165 | Not available | +13% | Positive payoff |
| 43 | Wofford CollegeBachelor's Degree | Spartanburg, SC | $78,906 | Not available | +33% | Positive payoff |
| 44 | University of North TexasBachelor's Degree | Denton, TX | $78,740 | $14,125 | +39% | Positive payoff |
| 45 | University of IdahoBachelor's Degree | Moscow, ID | $78,254 | $26,000 | +39% | Positive payoff |
| 46 | Loyola University ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $78,094 | $21,574 | +2% | Positive payoff |
| 47 | University of California, IrvineBachelor's Degree | Irvine, CA | $77,807 | $15,000 | +38% | Positive payoff |
| 48 | Ball State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Muncie, IN | $76,847 | $27,000 | +33% | Positive payoff |
| 49 | Belmont UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nashville, TN | $76,276 | Not available | +0% | Positive payoff |
| 50 | University of LouisvilleBachelor's Degree | Louisville, KY | $75,845 | $17,250 | +22% | Positive payoff |
| 51 | Texas State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Marcos, TX | $74,435 | $23,125 | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 52 | Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleBachelor's Degree | Edwardsville, IL | $74,248 | $19,514 | +22% | Positive payoff |
| 53 | University of KentuckyBachelor's Degree | Lexington, KY | $74,202 | $20,500 | +14% | Positive payoff |
| 54 | University of Central FloridaBachelor's Degree | Orlando, FL | $74,103 | $23,105 | +31% | Positive payoff |
| 55 | University of Nevada-RenoBachelor's Degree | Reno, NV | $74,032 | Not available | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 56 | California State University, Long BeachBachelor's Degree | Long Beach, CA | $73,980 | $18,329 | +31% | Positive payoff |
| 57 | Grand Valley State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Allendale, MI | $73,241 | $25,000 | +15% | Positive payoff |
| 58 | Wichita State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Wichita, KS | $73,166 | $23,448 | +21% | Positive payoff |
| 59 | Kennesaw State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Kennesaw, GA | $71,736 | $22,250 | +11% | Positive payoff |
| 60 | Old Dominion UniversityBachelor's Degree | Norfolk, VA | $71,406 | Not available | +11% | Positive payoff |
| 61 | SUNY OneontaBachelor's Degree | Oneonta, NY | $70,986 | $20,775 | +1% | Positive payoff |
| 62 | Marshall UniversityBachelor's Degree | Huntington, WV | $70,073 | Not available | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 63 | Oklahoma State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Stillwater, OK | $69,153 | $21,250 | -3% | Negative payoff |
| 64 | Kent State University at KentBachelor's Degree | Kent, OH | $68,757 | $25,000 | -10% | Negative payoff |
| 65 | West Virginia UniversityBachelor's Degree | Morgantown, WV | $68,161 | $23,742 | -5% | Negative payoff |
| 66 | The University of Texas at San AntonioBachelor's Degree | San Antonio, TX | $67,547 | $18,246 | +1% | Positive payoff |
| 67 | Sam Houston State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Huntsville, TX | $67,464 | $19,841 | -9% | Negative payoff |
| 68 | University of North Carolina at CharlotteBachelor's Degree | Charlotte, NC | $67,182 | $23,250 | -8% | Negative payoff |
| 69 | State University of New York at CortlandBachelor's Degree | Cortland, NY | $66,644 | $26,000 | -20% | Negative payoff |
| 70 | Tennessee Technological UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cookeville, TN | $65,900 | Not available | -12% | Negative payoff |
| 71 | The University of Arizona Global CampusBachelor's Degree | Chandler, AZ | $65,737 | $36,551 | -32% | Negative payoff |
| 72 | Colorado State University PuebloBachelor's Degree | Pueblo, CO | $65,720 | $23,786 | -6% | Negative payoff |
| 73 | University of North FloridaBachelor's Degree | Jacksonville, FL | $64,541 | $17,750 | -11% | Negative payoff |
| 74 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityBachelor's Degree | Richmond, VA | $64,164 | $21,500 | -30% | Negative payoff |
| 75 | University of California, RiversideBachelor's Degree | Riverside, CA | $64,147 | $18,000 | -19% | Negative payoff |
| 76 | Northern Arizona UniversityBachelor's Degree | Flagstaff, AZ | $63,605 | $23,021 | -21% | Negative payoff |
| 77 | Coastal Carolina UniversityBachelor's Degree | Conway, SC | $61,910 | Not available | -28% | Negative payoff |
| 78 | Arkansas Tech UniversityBachelor's Degree | Russellville, AR | $60,515 | Not available | -33% | Negative payoff |
| 79 | University of North Carolina at GreensboroBachelor's Degree | Greensboro, NC | $60,309 | $20,930 | -32% | Negative payoff |
| 80 | Utica UniversityBachelor's Degree | Utica, NY | $60,150 | Not available | -41% | Negative payoff |
| 81 | Greensboro CollegeBachelor's Degree | Greensboro, NC | $59,215 | $27,000 | -43% | Negative payoff |
| 82 | Georgia Southern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Statesboro, GA | $57,606 | $29,580 | -48% | Negative payoff |
| 83 | University of MemphisBachelor's Degree | Memphis, TN | $57,162 | $26,000 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 84 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural CollegeBachelor's Degree | Tifton, GA | $56,001 | Not available | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 85 | Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey CampusBachelor's Degree | San Juan, PR | $38,400 | $17,608 | -131% | Negative payoff |
| 86 | Boise State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boise, ID | Not available | $14,538 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $21,610 |
| 87 | University of Maine at FarmingtonBachelor's Degree | Farmington, ME | Not available | $22,591 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $16,857 |
| 88 | Ohio University-Eastern CampusBachelor's Degree | Saint Clairsville, OH | Not available | $21,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $3,925 |
| 89 | Ohio University-Chillicothe CampusBachelor's Degree | Chillicothe, OH | Not available | $21,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $5,755 |
| 90 | Ohio University-Southern CampusBachelor's Degree | Ironton, OH | Not available | $21,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $5,993 |
| 91 | Ohio University-Lancaster CampusBachelor's Degree | Lancaster, OH | Not available | $21,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $5,650 |
| 92 | Ohio University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Athens, OH | Not available | $21,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $21,637 |
| 93 | Ohio University-Zanesville CampusBachelor's Degree | Zanesville, OH | Not available | $21,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $5,746 |
| 94 | Wright State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Dayton, OH | Not available | $25,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $15,415 |
| 95 | University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusBachelor's Degree | Norman, OK | Not available | $17,800 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $15,300 |
| 96 | South Dakota State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Brookings, SD | Not available | $23,573 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $19,841 |
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.