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Business/Managerial Economics Degree

81 schools compared · Average earnings $53,331/yr

Students study economic theory applied to business decision-making, including market analysis, pricing strategies, cost-benefit analysis, and forecasting for corporate strategy. Graduates typically pursue careers in management consulting, corporate strategy, financial analysis, market research, and economic analysis roles at large corporations. This major offers the analytical rigor of economics combined with direct business application, often commanding higher starting salaries than general business degrees.

What Business/Managerial Economics Graduates Do

Your degree bridges the gap between economic theory and real-world business strategy. As a management analyst, you’ll embed with companies to diagnose problems, interviewing employees and digging into financial statements to find ways to boost efficiency and profits. In a financial risk specialist role, your day revolves around quantifying uncertainty. You'll build complex models to forecast potential losses from market volatility or credit defaults, helping your firm navigate financial minefields. These paths often start with heavy data analysis and modeling, progressing to senior roles where you manage teams, develop strategy, and present high-stakes recommendations to executives.

While consulting roles are growing rapidly, specialized research positions are more competitive. Across these careers, AI is changing the day-to-day reality. Expect it to automate significant chunks of routine data crunching and report generation. This shifts your value away from just performing analysis toward interpreting its output, questioning its assumptions, and communicating nuanced insights to leadership. Adaptability isn't just a buzzword; it's your key to thriving.

Schools Offering

Avg Grad Earnings

$53,331/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

59/100

AI Automation Risk

Very High

57% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Business/Managerial Economics graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 105,700 combined openings per year.

Career Path	Salary Range	Openings/yr	Growth	AI Risk
Economics teachers, postsecondary	$119,980 $81K$167K	1,200	+2.1%	48%
Economists	$115,440 $82K$166K	900	+1.2%	61%
Financial risk specialists	$106,000 $80K$145K	4,800	+6.5%	53%
Management analysts	$101,190 $77K$133K	98,100	+8.8%	40%
Survey researchers	$63,380 $46K$85K	700	-5.2%	62%

Economics teachers, postsecondary

$119,980

$81K $167K

1,200 openings/yr +2.1% growth 48% AI risk

Economists

$115,440

$82K $166K

900 openings/yr +1.2% growth 61% AI risk

Financial risk specialists

$106,000

$80K $145K

4,800 openings/yr +6.5% growth 53% AI risk

Management analysts

$101,190

$77K $133K

98,100 openings/yr +8.8% growth 40% AI risk

Survey researchers

$63,380

$46K $85K

700 openings/yr -5.2% growth 62% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Business/Managerial Economics

Top 20 of 81 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	Brigham Young University Provo, UT	78 75–79	$75,227/yr	51.1x
2	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	77 74–79	$83,604/yr	20.5x
3	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC	73 70–74	$62,692/yr	19.0x
4	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	72 69–73	$55,550/yr	20.7x
5	Ashford University San Diego, CA	71 68–72	$66,360/yr	15.5x
6	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC	71 68–73	$60,369/yr	21.7x
7	CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY	71 67–72	$57,909/yr	24.4x
8	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	71 68–73	$56,114/yr	18.0x
9	University of North Texas Denton, TX	71 68–72	$54,058/yr	20.4x
10	University of Georgia Athens, GA	70 67–71	$53,094/yr	19.3x
11	Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA	70 67–72	$49,187/yr	25.8x
12	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	69 66–71	$61,979/yr	15.1x
13	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH	69 66–71	$60,596/yr	13.1x
14	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA	69 66–71	$51,932/yr	31.1x
15	University of California-Davis Davis, CA	68 64–69	$54,546/yr	14.0x
16	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL	68 65–69	$47,648/yr	29.5x
17	Villanova University Villanova, PA	67 64–68	$82,212/yr	4.8x
18	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE	67 63–68	$55,404/yr	16.4x
19	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	67 64–68	$54,471/yr	17.4x
20	Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL	67 64–68	$53,219/yr	14.9x
21	University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA	67 64–68	$52,029/yr	14.4x
22	Georgia State University Atlanta, GA	67 64–68	$49,368/yr	21.0x
23	University of Louisville Louisville, KY	66 63–67	$48,050/yr	15.7x
24	Ball State University Muncie, IN	65 62–67	$53,319/yr	15.4x
25	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	65 62–66	$51,081/yr	13.7x
26	Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA	64 61–66	$81,796/yr	3.4x
27	Texas State University San Marcos, TX	64 61–65	$49,831/yr	14.6x
28	University of Idaho Moscow, ID	64 63–66	$44,655/yr	20.5x
29	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI	63 60–65	$53,536/yr	11.8x
30	The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX	63 61–64	$44,424/yr	18.9x
31	Arkansas Tech University Russellville, AR	63 62–64	$44,146/yr	20.2x
32	SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY	63 63–64	$41,859/yr	21.7x
33	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	62 59–63	$60,236/yr	23.4x
34	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	62 59–63	$60,236/yr	23.4x
35	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	62 59–63	$60,236/yr	23.4x
36	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	62 59–63	$60,236/yr	23.4x
37	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	62 59–63	$60,236/yr	23.4x
38	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC	62 61–64	$43,826/yr	22.2x
39	Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA	62 64–63	$39,233/yr	36.4x
40	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	61 58–62	$51,622/yr	11.8x
41	Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo, CO	61 59–63	$48,389/yr	15.4x
42	Bentley University Waltham, MA	60 57–61	$68,627/yr	3.1x
43	Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL	60 57–62	$61,333/yr	3.9x
44	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA	60 58–61	$45,370/yr	11.4x
45	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN	60 59–61	$44,025/yr	13.2x
46	State University of New York at Cortland Cortland, NY	60 61–61	$40,517/yr	20.3x
47	University of Miami Coral Gables, FL	59 56–60	$63,662/yr	3.0x
48	University of Dayton Dayton, OH	59 56–61	$55,871/yr	4.1x
49	DePaul University Chicago, IL	59 56–60	$53,682/yr	4.5x
50	Marquette University Milwaukee, WI	59 55–60	$53,345/yr	4.1x
51	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA	59 58–60	$44,277/yr	12.1x
52	Baylor University Waco, TX	58 55–60	$60,575/yr	3.3x
53	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA	58 60–59	$38,967/yr	22.9x
54	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK	57 54–58	$55,460/yr	13.5x
55	Wheaton College Wheaton, IL	57 54–58	$55,300/yr	3.8x
56	Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA	56 53–58	$54,457/yr	3.3x
57	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ	56 53–57	$47,379/yr	10.7x
58	Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO	55 52–56	$106,701/yr	3.2x
59	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	55 52–56	$60,236/yr	10.0x
60	Hampden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, VA	55 51–56	$52,087/yr	3.1x
61	Chapman University Orange, CA	54 51–56	$54,064/yr	2.6x
62	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX	54 51–55	$53,984/yr	10.5x
63	Boise State University Boise, ID	52 50–54	$46,511/yr	12.2x
64	University of Maine at Farmington Farmington, ME	51 49–53	$48,263/yr	10.0x
65	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC	51 50–52	$43,790/yr	13.4x
66	University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL	51 51–53	$42,357/yr	15.6x
67	South Dakota State University Brookings, SD	50 49–52	$45,123/yr	11.1x
68	Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ	49 47–51	$66,877/yr	2.3x
69	Capital University Columbus, OH	48 45–50	$59,203/yr	2.5x
70	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA	47 50–48	$37,496/yr	10.1x
71	Wofford College Spartanburg, SC	46 43–47	$48,055/yr	2.2x
72	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA	46 44–48	$46,170/yr	5.7x
73	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus San Juan, PR	46 48–46	$38,577/yr	12.9x
74	University of Memphis Memphis, TN	46 49–47	$37,534/yr	12.1x
75	Beloit College Beloit, WI	45 42–46	$54,111/yr	1.3x
76	Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO	45 42–47	$49,314/yr	2.1x
77	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA	45 45–46	$42,491/yr	7.9x
78	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK	44 45–45	$40,413/yr	8.9x
79	Greensboro College Greensboro, NC	43 42–44	$42,816/yr	4.2x
80	Belmont University Nashville, TN	40 39–41	$43,422/yr	1.6x
81	Utica University Utica, NY	23 25–24	$22,841/yr	1.3x

Highest Earning Business/Managerial Economics Programs

Schools where Business/Managerial Economics graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
Washington University in St Louis	$106,701/yr	55
University of California-Los Angeles	$83,604/yr	77
Villanova University	$82,212/yr	67
Lehigh University	$81,796/yr	64
Brigham Young University	$75,227/yr	78
Bentley University	$68,627/yr	60
Seton Hall University	$66,877/yr	49
Ashford University	$66,360/yr	71
University of Miami	$63,662/yr	59
University of South Carolina-Columbia	$62,692/yr	73

Best ROI for Business/Managerial Economics

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Business/Managerial Economics.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
Brigham Young University	51.1x	$75,227/yr	78
Georgia Southern University	36.4x	$39,233/yr	62
Kennesaw State University	31.1x	$51,932/yr	69
University of Central Florida	29.5x	$47,648/yr	68
Georgia College & State University	25.8x	$49,187/yr	70
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College	24.4x	$57,909/yr	71
Ohio University-Eastern Campus	23.4x	$60,236/yr	62
Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	23.4x	$60,236/yr	62
Ohio University-Southern Campus	23.4x	$60,236/yr	62
Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	23.4x	$60,236/yr	62

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Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Business/Managerial Economics offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Business/Managerial Economics graduates earn?

Across 81 schools, Business/Managerial Economics graduates earn an average of $53,331 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $22,841 to $106,701 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Business/Managerial Economics?

Business/Managerial Economics is rated "Very High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 57% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Which school has the best Business/Managerial Economics program?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), Brigham Young University ranks #1 for Business/Managerial Economics with a score of 78/100 and graduate earnings of $75,227/yr.

What's the outlook for a Business/Managerial Economics degree?

On average, Business/Managerial Economics graduates earn 13.7x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →