Home Schools Northwestern College Business Administration
Business · Business Administration Rank #852 of 1169

Business Administrationat Northwestern College

Graduates earn $48,515/yr in their first year — about 3.0% above the national Business Administration average. Base-case 10-year earnings $520K; scenarios range from $482K to $523K depending on AI disruption.

Orange City, IA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
54 AVERAGE
54
Optimistic
48
Pessimistic
Earnings
$48,515
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.4x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$520K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
52% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Northwestern College

At $48,515/yr, Business Administration graduates from Northwestern College land near the $46,892 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.

An earnings multiple of 3.7x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.

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 8% gap from the optimistic case.

The median debt load of $23,250 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

Ranked #852 of 1,169 Business Administration programs, Northwestern College falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

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
$482K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score48/100
Earnings Multiple3.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$520K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score54/100
Earnings Multiple3.7x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$523K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score54/100
Earnings Multiple3.7x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Northwestern 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 Northwestern 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 Northwestern College

Other top programs at Northwestern College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Northwestern 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 Northwestern College

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Business Administration at Northwestern College?

This program scores 54/100 — 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 $482,082 in decade earnings vs $522,661 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.