ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 8 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$179,655 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.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−158%Estimated return after 10 years
$38,419Observed 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.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$155,815
$8,000Annual price−$171,815
$12,000Current college-wide context−$179,815
$16,000Annual price−$187,815
$24,000Annual price−$203,815
$32,000Annual price−$219,815
$40,000Annual price−$235,815
Outcomes at a glance
$38,419Typical earnings four years after completion
$29,669Average earnings five years after completion
$16,918Typical federal student debt
19thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
8College 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.
Four useful answers about Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
How much do Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $38,419 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 $16,918. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $33,863 to $41,591 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 6 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.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,488
- Federal debt
- $18,788
- Programs in the comparison
- 14
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $38,419
- Federal debt
- $16,918
- Programs in the comparison
- 8
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $60,437
- Federal debt
- $24,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 80
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $72,411
- Federal debt
- $28,508
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $107,998
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 9
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $30,039
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
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$33,863National median$38,41975th percentile$41,591
8 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
Southeast Technical College
$46,674 four years after completionSioux Falls, SD · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtNUC University
$15,916 among completer borrowersBayamon, PR · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classCollege of Southern Idaho
18 reported awards in 2024–25Twin Falls, ID · 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.
$44,203Observed year-4 earnings$26,292
Southeast Technical College$17,400 price · $46,674 earningsCollege of Southern Idaho$6,095 price · $44,203 earningsSeminole State College of Florida$8,970 price · $41,591 earningsHutchinson Community College$6,727 price · $40,671 earningsNational American University-Rapid City$31,062 price · $36,166 earningsCuyahoga Community College District$4,266 price · $33,863 earningsNUC University$8,920 price · $26,292 earnings
$4,266Annual college-wide average net price$17,400
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
7 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 7 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Southeast Technical College$46,6742College of Southern Idaho$44,2033Seminole State College of Florida$41,5914Hutchinson Community College$40,6715National American University-Rapid City$36,1666Cuyahoga Community College District$33,8637NUC University$26,292Observed 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 →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Managers, 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 rangeChief 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 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 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 rangePersonal Service Managers, All Other$69,770 median wage10,450 jobs nationwide+6.2% projected growth through 2035 · 2,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$44,910–$118,710 typical wage rangeNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
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.