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Business · Business Administration Rank #717 of 1169

Business Administrationat Catawba College

Graduates earn $46,068/yr in their first year — about 2.0% below the national Business Administration average. Base-case 10-year earnings $579K; scenarios range from $525K to $587K depending on AI disruption.

Salisbury, NC Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
58 SOLID
58
Optimistic
52
Pessimistic
Earnings
$46,068
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.8x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$579K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
52% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Catawba College

Catawba College's Business Administration program produces graduates earning $46,068/yr — within striking distance of the $46,892 national average for this field.

The 4.3x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.

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

The $23,250 debt-to-$46,068 income ratio translates to about 6 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

At #717 out of 1,169 programs, Catawba College's financial outcomes for Business Administration trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $46,068 to $64,539 shows 40% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$525K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score52/100
Earnings Multiple3.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$579K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple4.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$587K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple4.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Catawba College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Business Administration graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Chief executives
+4.3% 10-yr growth · 22,200 openings/yr
$206,420/yr
High
2
Computer and information systems managers
+15.2% 10-yr growth · 55,600 openings/yr
$171,200/yr
High
3
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
4
Financial managers
+14.8% 10-yr growth · 74,600 openings/yr
$161,700/yr
High
5
Natural sciences managers
+3.7% 10-yr growth · 8,500 openings/yr
$161,180/yr
High
6
Compensation and benefits managers
+0.2% 10-yr growth · 1,500 openings/yr
$140,360/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Business Administration

How Catawba College stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Manhattan College
NY · Private nonprofit
77
DW Score
$114K
1-yr earn
4.5x
ROI
Top score
Bismarck State College
ND · Public
89
DW Score
$101K
1-yr earn
61.8x
ROI
Maine Maritime Academy
ME · Public
73
DW Score
$99K
1-yr earn
15.7x
ROI
Carnegie Mellon University
PA · Private nonprofit
77
DW Score
$96K
1-yr earn
5.2x
ROI
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
MI · Public
86
DW Score
$94K
1-yr earn
19.4x
ROI
Also at Catawba College

Other top programs at Catawba College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Catawba College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

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

Compare Business Administration trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Business Administration at Catawba College

How does Catawba College's Business Administration program score?

A score of 58/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Catawba College trails the majority of Business Administration programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

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.