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Business Administration at California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Business Administration, Management and Operations
72 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
73
Optimistic
72
Base Case
66
Pessimistic
Earnings $43,714/yr (-7% vs median)
AI Risk High (47% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (1,753,300 openings/yr)
ROI 21.1x earnings multiple (7.9x out-of-state)
Ranked #160 of 1,169 Business Administration programs Top 25%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Business Administration graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $608K $599K $540K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 21.4x 21.1x 19.0x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 8.0x 7.9x 7.1x
Probability of Field Employment 47% 43% 32%
DegreeOutlook Score 73 72 66

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$28,380
Out-of-state: $75,900 (7.9x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$30,396
-7% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$14,175
3.9 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$66,806
53% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

At $43,714/yr, Business Administration graduates from California State University-Northridge land near the $46,892 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.

The 21.1x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 47% task exposure — and the 11% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The median debt load of $14,175 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

Ranked #160 out of 1,169 programs, California State University-Northridge's Business Administration program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

Earnings growth from $43,714 to $66,806 over five years (53% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

About California State University-Northridge

With 93% of applicants admitted, California State University-Northridge prioritizes broad access, with 32,357 students enrolled in Northridge, CA. 56% of students receive Pell Grants, indicating strong socioeconomic diversity.

See all programs and financial aid at California State University-Northridge →

Top Career Paths

Chief executives $206,420/yr
Computer and information systems managers $171,200/yr
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
View all 42 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 1169 schools offering Business Administration →

Business Administration at Other Schools

Manhattan College ($113,777) Bismarck State College ($100,668) Maine Maritime Academy ($98,743) Carnegie Mellon University ($95,891) University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ($93,674) University of Pennsylvania ($91,443) University of California-Berkeley ($90,008) Emory University ($85,682)

Other Majors at California State University-Northridge

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($106,780) Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($100,724) Construction Engineering Technologies ($79,352) Public Administration ($76,049) Computer Engineering ($75,692) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($75,207) Mechanical Engineering ($71,359) Accounting and Related Services ($68,904)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare Business Administration trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does California State University-Northridge's Business Administration program score?
A score of 72/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. California State University-Northridge's Business Administration graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
How vulnerable is Business Administration to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Business Administration careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 47% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Why does California State University-Northridge rank so high for Business Administration?
The #160 ranking out of 1,169 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →