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Business Administration at Lees-McRae College

Banner Elk, NC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree · Business Administration, Management and Operations

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $33,292/yr (-29% vs median)

AI Risk High (47% exposed)

Job Market Very Large (1,753,300 openings/yr)

ROI 5.2x earnings multiple

Ranked #953 of 1,169 Business Administration programs

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	$667K	$653K	$579K
Earnings Multiple	5.4x	5.2x	4.6x
Probability of Field Employment	47%	43%	32%
DegreeOutlook Score	51	51	47

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)

$124,560

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$103,060

17% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$17,605

6.3 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$68,923

107% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $33,292 place Lees-McRae College below the $46,892 national median for Business Administration — worth weighing against tuition and cost of living.

The earnings-to-cost ratio of 5.2x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.

Some AI exposure exists in Business Administration's typical career paths, with 47% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 13% gap from the optimistic case.

Median debt of $17,605 represents roughly 6 months of the $33,292 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.

Ranked #953 of 1,169 Business Administration programs, Lees-McRae College falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Five-year earnings of $68,923 show a 107% jump from the $33,292 starting point — strong upward trajectory suggesting real career acceleration.

About Lees-McRae College

Lees-McRae College accepts 81% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, with a smaller student body of 817 in Banner Elk, NC.

See all programs and financial aid at Lees-McRae College →

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

Business Administration at Other Schools

Other Majors at Lees-McRae College

Consider the Trade Route?

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Business Administration at Lees-McRae College?

This program scores 51/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Business Administration programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.

Will AI replace Business Administration careers?

With 47% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $579,000 in decade earnings vs $667,011 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

Can you still earn well with Business Administration from Lees-McRae College?

First-year earnings trail the national median, but starting salary isn't the full picture. Regional cost of living, career trajectory, and tuition cost all factor in. Check the five-year earnings data when available.

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