Grad school ยท Business, management and marketing
Business graduate programs: earnings and debt by school
110 colleges award master's degrees in business. Graduates of the typical program earned $84,447 a year after finishing, and those who borrowed left with a median of $32,156 in federal loans taken at the school.
Master's programs110
Graduates in 2023-248,017
Typical median debt$32,156
Typical earnings 1 yr after$84,447
Typical earnings 4 yrs after$105,654
Earnings to debt2.6x
Official field: Business/Commerce, General. Admission figures such as LSAT, MCAT or GRE scores are not part of this federal data, so check each school.
| Degree level | Programs | Typical earnings 1 yr after | Typical median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master's | 110 | $84,447 | $32,156 |
| Doctoral | 23 | $108,513 | $81,100 |
| Professional doctorate | 1 | n/a | n/a |
Is it worth it? Debt vs first-year pay
Each dot is one master's program. Dots above the dashed line have graduates earning more in their first year than the program's median debt.
Master's programs in business
Highest first-year earnings
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL | 93 | $191,505 | $240,637 | n/a |
| Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI | 117 | $142,037 | $188,085 | $89,206 |
| Indiana University-IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN | 141 | $121,712 | $171,615 | $43,544 |
| Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, IN | 1,026 | $142,151 | $161,345 | $50,439 |
| University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI | 53 | $141,050 | $160,097 | $49,625 |
| Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD | 2 | $150,326 | $158,699 | $77,747 |
| Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA | 160 | $129,571 | $148,490 | $44,112 |
| Northeastern University Professional ProgramsBoston, MA | 69 | $129,571 | $148,490 | $44,112 |
| Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA | 257 | $108,791 | $143,079 | $51,250 |
| Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA | 8 | $113,962 | $142,843 | $41,000 |
| Saint Joseph's University - PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA | 146 | $110,279 | $141,003 | $41,000 |
| Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA | 59 | $106,872 | $140,532 | $74,635 |
| University of DenverDenver, CO | 186 | $109,575 | $133,993 | $66,754 |
| University of Missouri-St LouisSaint Louis, MO | 143 | $89,935 | $129,101 | $24,400 |
| Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI | 63 | $99,194 | $128,108 | $21,354 |
| University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, MO | 58 | $105,934 | $123,999 | n/a |
| University of New Hampshire-Main CampusDurham, NH | 100 | $100,385 | $123,477 | $30,750 |
| Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN | 130 | $99,523 | $120,992 | $31,808 |
| West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV | 126 | $84,271 | $119,013 | $30,750 |
| Indiana University-NorthwestGary, IN | 21 | $78,558 | $118,385 | n/a |
| Indiana University-South BendSouth Bend, IN | 29 | $95,285 | $115,947 | n/a |
| Belmont UniversityNashville, TN | 56 | $85,490 | $113,806 | $47,260 |
| Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA | 84 | $70,323 | $113,672 | $63,216 |
| Purdue University Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN | 46 | $91,928 | $113,001 | $19,255 |
| University of KentuckyLexington, KY | 119 | $83,995 | $111,868 | $41,000 |
| University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY | 239 | $81,186 | $110,622 | $35,500 |
| Indiana University-SoutheastNew Albany, IN | 41 | n/a | $109,847 | $20,678 |
| University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL | 195 | $89,419 | $108,978 | $39,348 |
| Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA | 94 | $74,134 | $108,337 | $41,000 |
| Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL | 258 | $88,160 | $107,889 | $30,750 |
| Cameron UniversityLawton, OK | 12 | n/a | $106,812 | n/a |
| Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA | 10 | $80,965 | $104,495 | $32,569 |
| University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterWhitewater, WI | 290 | $91,654 | $102,812 | $27,865 |
| Maryville University of Saint LouisSaint Louis, MO | 121 | $86,338 | $102,806 | $46,989 |
| Post UniversityWaterbury, CT | 223 | $71,912 | $101,826 | $41,289 |
| Mercer UniversityMacon, GA | 0 | $84,623 | $101,623 | n/a |
| University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, GA | 23 | $95,228 | $97,809 | n/a |
| Murray State UniversityMurray, KY | 108 | $65,576 | $96,691 | $26,119 |
| Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY | 453 | $91,837 | $94,965 | $30,035 |
| Georgia College & State UniversityMilledgeville, GA | 10 | $97,546 | $94,468 | n/a |
| Loyola University New OrleansNew Orleans, LA | 56 | $68,757 | $92,654 | $44,799 |
| Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityLincoln, NE | 19 | $77,179 | $91,021 | n/a |
| Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA | 32 | $76,624 | $90,894 | $34,168 |
| Morehead State UniversityMorehead, KY | 18 | $57,927 | $89,399 | n/a |
| Columbia CollegeColumbia, MO | 100 | $70,753 | $87,915 | $40,400 |
| Lindenwood UniversitySaint Charles, MO | 121 | $72,931 | $85,320 | $31,191 |
| Colorado State University PuebloPueblo, CO | 43 | $62,179 | $84,995 | n/a |
| University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL | 35 | $69,187 | $81,376 | $23,958 |
| Indiana Institute of TechnologyFort Wayne, IN | 177 | $65,542 | $78,881 | $24,193 |
| Auburn University at MontgomeryMontgomery, AL | 50 | $60,928 | $78,731 | $30,750 |
| Marshall UniversityHuntington, WV | 47 | $62,297 | $77,136 | $28,606 |
| Campbellsville UniversityCampbellsville, KY | 278 | $67,429 | $76,568 | $26,062 |
| Concordia University-NebraskaSeward, NE | 26 | n/a | $75,289 | n/a |
| University of CharlestonCharleston, WV | 18 | $45,648 | $75,247 | $29,577 |
| Schreiner UniversityKerrville, TX | 27 | $59,914 | $71,621 | $26,748 |
| Bethel UniversityMcKenzie, TN | 50 | $60,291 | $70,110 | $41,000 |
| Savannah State UniversitySavannah, GA | 25 | $54,898 | $65,620 | $38,194 |
| Spalding UniversityLouisville, KY | 21 | $60,999 | $61,096 | $25,500 |
| University of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasSan Juan, PR | 31 | $53,001 | $57,619 | $17,000 |
| Henderson State UniversityArkadelphia, AR | 65 | $52,154 | $56,919 | $23,400 |
| South Carolina State UniversityOrangeburg, SC | 10 | n/a | $54,848 | n/a |
| Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, AZ | 0 | n/a | $53,599 | n/a |
| Indiana University-KokomoKokomo, IN | 22 | $101,024 | n/a | $17,430 |
| Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MA | 33 | $91,426 | n/a | n/a |
| Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown, OH | 180 | $88,114 | n/a | $20,286 |
| Western New England UniversitySpringfield, MA | 19 | $88,100 | n/a | n/a |
| Pace UniversityNew York, NY | 56 | $86,237 | n/a | $41,000 |
| Jacksonville UniversityJacksonville, FL | 76 | $85,953 | n/a | $21,083 |
| Citadel Military College of South CarolinaCharleston, SC | 101 | $85,683 | n/a | $26,746 |
| Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA | 17 | $77,816 | n/a | n/a |
| University of South FloridaTampa, FL | 37 | $75,152 | n/a | n/a |
| Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY | 41 | $69,901 | n/a | $24,520 |
| Eastern Oregon UniversityLa Grande, OR | 24 | $69,686 | n/a | $29,967 |
| Niagara UniversityNiagara University, NY | 58 | $64,605 | n/a | $20,500 |
| LIM CollegeNew York, NY | 13 | $64,279 | n/a | n/a |
| University of North TexasDenton, TX | 28 | $62,080 | n/a | $32,504 |
| Hawaii Pacific UniversityHonolulu, HI | 43 | $56,757 | n/a | n/a |
| Bellevue UniversityBellevue, NE | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Bowie State UniversityBowie, MD | 17 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| CUNY Graduate School and University CenterNew York, NY | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Central State UniversityWilberforce, OH | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Colby-Sawyer CollegeNew London, NH | 35 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Commonwealth University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburg, PA | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Edgewood UniversityMadison, WI | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Emerson CollegeBoston, MA | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA | 31 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA | 32 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lincoln Memorial UniversityHarrogate, TN | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Louisiana Christian UniversityPineville, LA | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| New England CollegeHenniker, NH | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| New York UniversityNew York, NY | 39 | n/a | n/a | $53,594 |
| Oklahoma Christian UniversityEdmond, OK | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Pacific Union CollegeAngwin, CA | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-PoncePonce, PR | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaMoraga, CA | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Seattle Pacific UniversitySeattle, WA | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Southern Nazarene UniversityBethany, OK | 16 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Tabor CollegeHillsboro, KS | 14 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Tennessee Wesleyan UniversityAthens, TN | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX | 245 | n/a | n/a | $36,690 |
| University of ChicagoChicago, IL | 19 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, MD | 57 | n/a | n/a | $31,317 |
| University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Puerto Rico-MayaguezMayaguez, PR | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, SC | 35 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of St ThomasHouston, TX | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| West Virginia Wesleyan CollegeBuckhannon, WV | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Western Connecticut State UniversityDanbury, CT | 25 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Widener UniversityChester, PA | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Doctoral programs in business
Highest first-year earnings
Professional doctorate programs in business
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland Global CampusAdelphi, MD | 33 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Frequently asked questions
How much do business graduates earn?
Graduates of the typical master's program earned a median of $84,447 one year after finishing, in 2024 dollars.
How much debt do business graduate students take on?
The typical program's graduates who borrowed left with a median of $32,156 in federal loans taken at that school. Undergraduate loans are not included.
Undergraduate: Business major
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.